cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/30019726
By Syma Mohammed Published date: 12 May 2025 21:22 BST
More than 30 #California State University (CSU) students are on a hunger strike to protest against #Israel’s blockade of food and water going into Gaza, which has placed the enclave’s population at “critical risk” of famine.
In a video released on Sunday, the students said that the hunger strike was growing across campuses: “It’s day seven of the CSU hunger strike for Gaza. We remain steadfast in our struggle for a free #Palestine…"
They’re drinking water with electrolytes and having their vitals checked twice a day. If their vitals start to become weak or erratic, I’m sure they’ll a taken to a hospital.
But if they actually intend to see it through, they can go for quite a while. If they also take vitamins and a potassium supplement for heart function, they could survive without food for over a year. (The actual length depends on many factors, of course, particularly starting weight.)
Without supplements or electrolytes, a person can survive for around two months. (Again, depending on starting weight and other factors.)
Never having done a hunger strike myself, I thought the following was interesting. It sounds like there’s kind of a medical protocol to it and I wonder what measures are taken when it’s deemed “dangerous.” Under these conditions I’m guessing some folks could last physically (no judgement on the mental toughness it takes!) for quite some time:
“The students have been drinking water with electrolytes and having their vitals tested twice a day.”
