TOTW: Hunger Strikes

hunger strike

Hunger strikes have a long history as a resistance tactic across a diverse range of political tendencies, often as a last resort for those imprisoned[1]. However, a commonality in tactic doesn’t mean motivations, desires, and goals of those participating are the same.

How are hunger strikes different when carried out by anarchists? How are they similar?


[1] an incredibly non-exhaustive list (in no particular order):
Troscud (early Medieval Irish law)
“Hunger strike” tag on anews
Alfredo Cospito
Anna Beniamino
Juan Sorroche
Giannis Michailidis
various Russian anarchists (1921-1937)
Mahatma Ghandi
Bobby Sands
Meryem Altun
Pelican Bay prisoners
John Murtari
Guantanamo detainees
Marion Wallace Dunlop
Alaa Abdel-Fattah

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What is this TOTW dogshit doing on my beloved @news??? Bring back the Serial Madlib Adventures! /s

"How are hunger strikes different when carried out by anarchists? How are they similar?"

They're not. You said it yourself: "a commonality in tactic doesn’t mean motivations, desires, and goals of those participating are the same".

Fire to the prisons!

There is nothing served in those hellholes that I can choke down. Last time I was in their hands(3 day Deoraball actikn hold) I did not evem want that shit in my cell, so down the toilet it went. Thus any declared hunger strike would have to come with demands they cannot meet as I would have no way of ending it.

The food was shit, I flushed it down the toilet with the rest of the shit so it would not stink up the cell. Due to a lifelong issue w taste and smell, I find all but a few foods inedible, like what they'd taste like to most folks if they were to be permitted to absolutely and totally rot.

hunger strikes in prison are almost literally biting the hand that feeds them by refusing to eat from it. it shows them they’re not in control even when they take everything away and that they’d rather die on their own terms than live by the terms of captivity

Lol, in a white dominant liberal democratic prison which was frying the breakfast egg and bacon in peanut oil, we hunger stroke over peanut oil at high temp is a carcinogenic.
Out of all the 90 blue collar felons inside who said they'd strike, only 7 of the hardened cons including myself actually stroke and threw our bacon and eggs in the bin. At least we found out who our genuine brahs were who kept their word!

but hunger strikes are contingent on demands of the state/prison/whatever. so if the demands aren't met and the prisoner dies who was in control?

literally biting the hand that feeds tho...that is another route worth considering...

"if the demands aren't met and the prisoner dies who was in control?"

The hunger striker.

"..demands aren't met and the prisoner dies who was in control?"

the prison/state were in control of the persons life/incarceration, and the prisoner was in control of their death.

"die on their own terms than live by the terms of captivity"

i understand this. but i think i find it frustrating when hungerstrikes get seen or used as anything other than this. it is a way of executing your individual will and taking back control or power in a situation where you have little to none.

doesn't it all get a bit funny when demands are brought in? do you trust or expect the state to value your life? do you not think they would rather have you dead? and if you choose to starve yourself to death, is there any blood on their hands? if there are demands why stop at only reasonable ones? isn't it all just effectivly asking the state to be nicer to you?

I wanna see Wayne Price go on a hunger strike for Ukraine and enter the anarchist Hall of Famous activists!

in one sense suicide is the ultimate form of exercising individual will. but in another sense, do any people/anarchists on hunger strike believe the state cares enough about their lives to grant their wishes/demands? or is it more about publicity for the cause?

I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadents
But I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeah
But it's on the table, the fire's cookin'
And they're farmin' babies, while the slaves are all workin'
Blood is on the table and the mouths are all chokin'
But I'm goin' hungry, yeah

I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadents
But I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, uh huh
But it's on the table, the fire's cookin'
And they're farmin' babies, while the slaves are all workin'
And it's on the table, their mouths are all chokin'
But I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)
[Refrain: Vedder & (Cornell)]
I'm goin' hungry (I'm goin' hungry)
I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)
I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)

I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)
I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)

(Yeah, I don't mind stealin' bread) I don't mind
(No, I don't mind stealin' bread)
I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)
I'm goin' hungry (Goin' hungry)

but if i'm every locked up with little/no prospects for being released soon, then i do consider it a helpful tactic to just stop eating and say "no" when the guards ask if you are on hunger strike. Even if you don't die as a result, you will probably sleep less, switching up the programmed routine of being a prisoner. You might even get thrown into solitary!

yay! solitary?

what is a symbolic hunger strike ( mentioned in hte piece on the turkish prisoners this week)? is it like toby shone's promise to go hungry a few days a week in solidarity with alfredo?

no criticism of any of these people of course, it's just confusing to me.

if hunger striking is about threatening one's onw helth because it's the last thing you can do to pressure the authorities, then how is going hungry anything more than hurting themselvs?

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