Lack Of Government Response Imperils Life Of Hunger Striker
By Ashley Zarbatany for Vancouver Media Co-op. After staging a 20 day hunger strike against BC Hydro’s construction of the contested Site C Dam, Kristen Henry was forced to end her fast last night due to serious health complications.
Henry, an SFU alumna, began her hunger strike on March 13th in protest of the B.C. government’s failure to respect the Treaty 8 First Nations in northeastern B.C., who have launched legal challenges to the project.
Henry, who was rushed to the hospital on the evening of March 31st, has suffered serious health consequences as a result of her lengthy strike. On Thursday evening her heart rate dropped to a mere 35 beats per minute, and despite breaking her fast, it remains at a low 45 beats per minute. She will remain in hospital under observation for at least the next 24 hours and may suffer long-term kidney damage.
She is overwhelmed by the amount of love and support she has had and says that she is proud of the awareness she and her supporters have raised about the project.