USF student hospitalized during hunger strike

A hunger striker, who wishes to remain anonymous, was hospitalized Wednesday night after 10 days of not eating.
The student was discharged Thursday morning and will continue striking. It has not been confirmed what symptoms they were experiencing before they were hospitalized.
The group will starve themselves until USF divests from companies that “fund genocide” in Palestine. Five of the original 17 hunger strikers remain and 12 have joined in solidarity.
Related: USF students to go on hunger strike for Palestine: ‘putting our lives on the line.’
The students also announced they are “escalating at the Patel Center” by approaching administration as they walk into the building demanding divestment, according to their Instagram.
An Instagram post showed a protester approaching Cesar Esmeraldi, Student Government president, as he walked into the Patel Center around 10:30 a.m.
“…Students are hunger striking right now and one was hospitalized just yesterday after not eating for 11 days. You should talk to your higher ups and ask them to stop…” an unidentified protester said on the organization’s Instagram story.
Related: USF paramedics check on Hunger Striker during sit-in protest
The Undergraduate American Medical Women’s Association, Sisters United Muslim Association and Student for Justice in Palestine have expressed their solidarity with the hunger striker’s movement on social media.
Stay with The Oracle for updates on the hunger strike.
Lily Belcher, Staff Writer and Julia Saad, News Editor
Lily Belcher is the managing editor for The Oracle. She's a mass communications and professional and technical communications double major. She started at The Oracle in summer 2023 as a correspondent and worked her way up to news editor. She has been freelancing for local newspapers for four years and hopes to write for a major newspaper following her graduation. Reach her at belcher20@usf.edu
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