Join Us in Our Hunger Strike at CUNY: Discover the Reasons Behind Our Movement

We are a group of eight students, staff, and faculty from the City University of New York who began a hunger strike on May 27. We sit on the steps of the CUNY Graduate Center, facing the Empire State Building. It stands as a monument to U.S. imperialism. For 19 months, we have watched the violence in Gaza, unfolding before our eyes through our phones. We cannot ignore it any longer.

Our demand is simple: we call on CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez and the CUNY Board of Trustees to immediately divest from Israel and any companies that support the ongoing violence against the people of Palestine.

The situation in Gaza is dire. Since Israel’s military withdrawal in 2007, the region has endured a devastating siege. As of March 2 of this year, humanitarian aid has been almost completely cut off. Fatima Ahmed, a mother in Gaza, articulated the heartbreaking reality: “There’s no flour, no food for anyone. We are all hungry.” The blockade has led to tragic deaths, with reports indicating that around 300 people, most of them children and the elderly, have starved to death. A recent UN report highlighted that over 930,000 children in Gaza face imminent death from starvation. We join this hunger strike because we refuse to accept business as usual while Gaza suffers.

The violence escalates daily, displacing 180,000 Palestinians in just ten days. Recently, as Israel allowed a handful of aid trucks into Gaza—a move criticized as merely a public relations stunt—attacks continued on innocent civilians. On the same day our hunger strike began, Israel targeted Palestinians seeking food aid, resulting in multiple deaths.

On the day of our protest, Israel received its 800th shipment of weapons from the U.S. since the genocide began on October 7. The Israeli government proudly reported over 90,000 tons of military equipment and arms supplied by the U.S.

We are infuriated. Our university claims to support knowledge and education, yet turns a blind eye to the genocide occurring right now. Some academics discuss colonialism but refuse to address its brutal consequences in real-time. CUNY’s financial ties to companies that profit from this violence contradict its mission of serving the public good. As of 2021, CUNY had contracts worth over $8.5 million with firms that have aided in the devastation in Gaza.

Students at CUNY have protested this inactions, clogging Board of Trustees meetings and organizing walkouts. Various campus bodies have even passed resolutions calling for a boycott of Israel. Yet, the administration’s response has been increasingly repressive, employing academic penalties and police violence against protesting students.

We will not allow our tuition and public funds to support violence. We cannot tolerate funding a university that profits from conflict while claiming to advocate for justice.’

As part of our strike, we’re raising funds for families in Gaza. One family’s story, from a survivor named Bassel, highlights the human toll of this conflict. Bassel has lost 60 family members over the past year. He reflects on the quick and tragic changes in his life, transformed from a hopeful father into a man constantly fearing for his family’s safety.

Bassel’s words remind us of the urgency and weight of our cause, illuminating the reality that thousands face in Gaza. We strike not just for ourselves but for those who have lost everything.

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