An anti-Israel protester at Princeton University sounded off about how she was “starving” during a self-imposed hunger strike and accused the prestigious university of purposefully “physically weakening” students.
Video shows the protester and other demonstrators railing into a megaphone about the New Jersey Ivy League school’s refusal to divest from Israel following Hamas’ unprovoked attack on the Jewish state on Oct. 7.
“This is absolutely unfair. My peers and I, we are starving. We are physically exhausted. I am quite literally shaking right now as you can see,” the protester says into the megaphone in a widely shared video on X.
A student-led hunger strike began Friday, with protesters demanding the school meet with them to discuss divestment and drop the criminal and disciplinary charges against two students who were arrested for erecting tents and 13 other peers who were arrested for trespassing an academic hall last month, Princeton’s student newspaper, the Daily Princetonian, reported Monday.
After meeting with administrators on Monday, students indicated that they have no intention of halting their protest, which has left them “immunocompromised,” according to the female protester whose rally cry has gone viral online.
“We are both hot and cold at the same time. We are all immunocompromised and based on the university’s meeting yesterday with some of our bargaining team, they would love to continue physically weakening us because they can’t stand to say no to unjust murder,” the protester said to cheers and banging of drums.
Despite the complaints, the protester in the video concedes that going on a hunger strike was their choice.
“I will say I truly do not feel like I am doing anything special. This is my choice, and I would not spend my birthday doing anything other than being here,” the protester said.
“No matter how physically weak we may be, united we have never been stronger,” they added as the crowd began to chant, “The people united will never be defeated!”
According to the student newspaper, at least 15 students were taking part in the hunger strike Sunday night.
It was not immediately clear how that number may have changed throughout the week.
School president Christopher Eisgruber, graduate school dean Rodney Priestley and Amaney Jamal, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs, told students in an email Tuesday that administrators were working with the protesters.
“My colleagues and I are now in direct conversation with the protestors,” he wrote. “I have told them that we can consider their concerns through appropriate processes that respect the interests of multiple parties and viewpoints, but we cannot allow any group to circumvent those processes or exert special leverage.”
