In Solidarity with the men held at Guantánamo Bay, the tens of thousands of prisoners in the United States in solitary confinement, and the 5,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli jails.
Beginning January 3, 2014, participants will take in no food from at least 6 am to 6 pm every Friday (some are fasting from midnight to midnight). They will wear orange wristbands or ribbons and attempt to engage people they meet during the day about Guantánamo Bay and the wider injustices of the so-called “War on Terror,” as well as the U.S. policy of long term solitary confinement and the oppression of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
If you would like to take part, please fill out this form.
This particular form of the idea was inspired by Ben Griffin (Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Iraq veteran, member Veterans For Peace UK) and 20 or so of his comrades. Ben and the others decided to fast every Friday in solidarity with prisoners at Guantanamo and to bring attention to their situation.
Fasting and long-term hunger strikes are nonviolent tactics used to bring attention to an issue of injustice. A one-day fast by many people on the same day each week can have an effect similar to that of a solitary long-term hunger strike.
There are two ways people can join in this Friday Fast for Justice.
Some are fasting on only water, lemon juice and salt (A few granules of sea salt, juice of 1 lemon to 2 quarts of water). The other way, a bit easier but perhaps just as effective in bringing attention to the issue, is to do what Ben and his comrades are doing in the UK, which is to fast every Friday from 6 am to 6 pm (please see the links).
The motivation for our fast is primarily to bring attention to the plight of prisoners in Guantanamo, but also to the long-term solitary confinement and horrific conditions in jails here in the U.S., and to the injustice of 5000 Palestinian prisoners suffering in Israeli prisons.
Please fill out the form at this link if you wish to take part in the weekly Friday Fast for Justice. To join the fast means that you will be doing one of the two forms of fasting every Friday.
We have a web page where we will post your names and starting date, as well as our motivations for this effort. Thank you and we hope you can join us.