On Monday, after consulting with medical professionals, 10 students from the Western Academy launched a hunger strike in hopes of raising demand for weapons manufacturers that the college has long demanded to connect with Israel as the war in Gaza continues.
In this new protest season, they have made additional demands calling on the West to provide protection for international students in terms of the Trump administration’s revocation of student visas against national interests, in some cases targeting students protesting Israel’s war on Gaza.
The hungry forward said they were inspired by students at Chapman University in Orange, which launched a similar campaign in April. The strike ended 10 days later and there was no university discount. Now, this seems like a new phase for students focusing on Palestinian plight, as many California campuses have banned or restricted overnight camps that flourished last school year, in some cases fueling allegations of violent confrontation and anti-Semitism.
Students from Western universities participated in a hunger strike on the terrace near the campus restaurant.
(Hon Wing Chiu / Times)
Western judicial students in the Palestinian branch occupied nine days of camp last year, calling on the academy to invest from manufacturing companies that provide weapons and equipment to the Israeli military. In May, the Western board of directors agreed to consider divestment and the camps fell, but the board then voted against the divestment.
As of August, the total indirect investments of the companies students want to target were valued at about $940,000, or about one-tenth of the college’s total donated assets as of August, according to university spokesman Rachael Warecki.
In a request sent to Western President Tom Stritikus this week, the Hungry re-called for the academy to cancel direct and indirect investments from weapons manufacturing companies linked to Israel. They also asked the campus to strengthen protection of international students by providing unpaid legal support for students facing visa revocation and to delete student records of allegations of protests related to conduct. International students account for approximately 7% of student groups in the West.
“I have discussed with students participating in this protest and others on campus, and have discussed these issues many times over the past few months,” Stritikus said in a letter to campus on Friday. “In this case, many of the initiatives that students advocate for are already there based on the work we have done this semester for the benefit of our international students and academic community. While we may not agree with all the strategies to get there, I fundamentally believe that we do believe in the future we want to build.”
On April 9, Stritikus issued a statement announcing that the university had signed an amicus summary and registered concerns about the Trump administration's efforts to revoke the legal status of hundreds of international students, usually with minimal explanation. He said that if Western students lose their legal status, the university will make “all reasonable efforts” to help them retain eligibility for financial aid and housing.
He also said the campus will “continue to provide community and personal resources, training and programs such as the last time we knew about your rights, community halls, and timely guidance related to potential immigration enforcement actions.”
But students who participated in the hunger strike said that colleges were not doing enough. Friday represents the 5th day of their strike.
In the daily video update, they have emotional condemnation of Israel’s ongoing air strikes on the Gaza Strip and a seven-week lockdown, emotional condemnation of deaths caused by Palestinian deaths, and a seven-week lockdown in which the region has drained food stocks. Israel cut off the delivery of humanitarian delivery of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza in early March and said it hopes to increase pressure from Hamas to release the remaining Israeli civilians who took hostages in the deadly attack in October 2023.
Student Evan Zeltzer checked his vitality on the 5th day of the Western Academy's “Hunger Strike”.
(Hon Wing Chiu / Times)
The forward said they only consumed water with zero calories of electrolyte powder.
Jackie Hu, 20, said that by the third day, it was getting more and more difficult to sleep and that she was experiencing headaches, dizziness and numbness. Most importantly, HU, a major in biochemistry, will take the final exam next week.
“While it’s hard as a student, there is a persistent genocide in Palestine and there is no university in Gaza,” she said.
Every day, the forward established an area near the campus restaurant, with a cardboard sign every day. By Thursday, some students had passed out, Tobias Lodish said.
The same day, Stritix stopped to have a brief conversation with the students, according to a video shared with the New York Times.
“I totally appreciate your enthusiasm for this, I understand, I share that – that's why we did what we did,” he said to the students. “I think all of you have different opinions on what I want me to do. I've already articulated why we won't do that, why we won't do it. And, your hunger strike is different from these requirements and has nothing to do with these requirements.”
He urged, “You are controlling yourself, I want you.”
Evan Zeltzer, 18, participated in the strike and said the students were cold and tired but would persevere.
“The situation of the world is so terrible,” said Zeltzer, a major in critical theory and social justice. “And I don’t think we have any other way to make our voice feel heard.”
