Hunger strike of Larry Hebert
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| Part of the Israel–Hamas war protests in the United States | |
 Larry Hebert on the first day of his hunger strike in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. | |
| Date | March, April 2024 |
|---|---|
| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Type | Hunger strike |
| Motive | Opposition to United States support for Israel's war in Gaza. |
| Organised by | Larry Hebert, Veterans For Peace |
| Participants | Larry Hebert, Marshall Burns, Jeffrey Berger, Najjam Malik, Margaret Stevens |
The April 2024 hunger strike for the children of Gaza was started on March 31, 2024 by Larry Hebert, a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force during an authorized leave from his post. Hebert's leave was terminated on April 9, but the strike was carried on by four other individuals until April 26.
The announced purpose of the strike was "to highlight the plight of the starving children of Gaza." The demand of the strikers was for the United States to end its military support of Israel's war in Gaza.[1]
Background
Larry Hebert (pronounced eh-BEAR) is a U.S. Air Force Senior Airman and avionics technician assigned to Naval Station Rota, Spain. NavSta Rota provides cargo, fuel and logistics support to military units in the region and supports U.S. and NATO ships with three active piers.[2]
At the time of his hunger strike, Hebert had been in the military for six years. He enlisted in September 2018[3] after meeting a number of veterans who told him that "joining the Air Force would set me up for life, through education, through housing, through ... just the basic pay." However, while he found that was true, he also found that "there is an element ... that I didn’t understand the entirety of, ... our foreign policy. ... I don’t entirely regret my time in the military, but now that I’m more aware of our foreign policy and what’s going on, I ... can’t see myself continuing service."[4]
He said that at Rota, "I'm seeing all the cargo that comes through from the States and is coming overseas and going to Israel and they’re just massive, massive missiles that are going to be used on mostly civilians." He said he may seek a reassignment from his role working with Israel-bound weapons, possibly as a conscientious objector.[2]
Event
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In mid-March 2024, Hebert, age 26, took authorized leave from his assignment at Naval Station Rota, Spain, and traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in demonstrations demanding a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and to visit Congressional offices to press for stopping weapons shipments to Israel.[1]
At 10:00 am on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, Hebert began a hunger strike on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. The strike was announced that day by a news release from Veterans For Peace with the stated purpose "to highlight the plight of the starving children of Gaza." He wore a sign that read, "Active duty airman refuses to eat while Gaza starves," with a photograph of an emaciated infant.[1]
Hebert said, “I was deeply touched when I saw that Aaron Bushnell took his own life at the Israeli Embassy for the people of Gaza and knew that I had to raise my voice in opposition to the U.S. government supplying Israel the bombs and rockets to commit genocide in Gaza. Active-duty members are afraid to speak out and I hope that my example and that of others, like Aaron, can change that.”[1]
While Bushnell's message and actions resonated with him, Hebert said it was the silence from military leadership that motivated him to speak out.
“The response [to Bushnell's death] by the military, specifically my command and then our government –- basically just not uttering a word, like not even saying his name or anything and just trying to sweep the whole situation under the rug –- that’s what really infuriated me and gave me the resolve to come to D.C.”[2]
Shortly before his hunger strike, although still on active duty, Hebert joined Veterans For Peace,[4] an organization with a long history of opposing U.S. military actions.
While fasting, Hebert stood in selected public places with his sign every day from mid-morning to mid- or late-afternoon. After a week of standing in front of the White House, he moved his protest to the Capitol on April 8, when Congress returned from its recess.[1] His fasting regimen consisted of zero food, while drinking water and small amounts of juice.[2]
In his protest, Hebert handed out a flier to passersby, which explained the reasons for his action and listed five U.S. laws that he and Veterans for Peace claim are being violated[5] by shipments of U.S. arms to Israel in its war on Gaza:[6]
- Foreign Assistance Act
- Arms Export Control Act
- War Crimes Act
- Leahy Law
- Genocide Convention Implementation Act
His fast was ended abruptly on April 9, when Hebert was ordered to report immediately to Andrews Air Force Base for a return flight to his post in Spain.
On the second day of his hunger strike, Hebert said he had received at least 30 emails from veterans thanking him for his courage. The reactions in person were also mostly positive, he said.[2]
Several people responded to the news of Hebert's hunger strike by traveling to Washington to join him in it and continue on after he was ordered to stop. These included civilians Marshall Burns and Najjam Malik and veterans Jeffrey Berger and Margaret Stevens. These actions continued until April 26, when Berger completed a regimen of 14 days without food.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Active Duty Air Force Airman On White House Hunger Strike for the Starving Children of Gaza, Veterans For Peace, News release, March 31, 2024
- ^ a b c d e Airman on hunger strike at White House over Gaza support, Task & Purpose, April 1, 2024
- ^ Airman Starts Hunger Strike at White House over Gaza, Inspired by Another Airman's Self-Immolation Death, Military.com, April 1, 2024
- ^ a b Active-Duty U.S. Airman, Inspired by Aaron Bushnell, on Hunger Strike Outside White House over Gaza, Democracy Now, April 2, 2024
- ^ Demand for termination of provision of military weapons and munitions to Israel, Veterans For Peace, February 11, 2024
- ^ Fasting for the Children of Palestine, Larry Hebert, April 2024
Other coverage
- US airman to start hunger strike to draw attention to plight of Gaza's children, Al Jazeera, April 1, 2024
- Gaza Is A "Horror Film" - Palestinian Writer Susan Abulhawa + Journalist Prem Thakker On Al Shifa, Katie Halper, YouTube livestream, April 2, 2024. The program has a bonus segment with Hebert and Anne Wright starting at t = 1:22:33.
- The Active-Duty Airman Refusing to Eat While Gaza Starves, Common Dreams, April 3, 2024