History of hunger strikes Global power of political fasts

History of hunger strikes: Explore how figures from Gandhi to Palestine Action used the power of the fast to challenge empires and seek justice

Hunger strikes represent one of the most extreme forms of non-violent protest. By weaponizing their own bodies, activists place the moral burden of their survival directly onto the authorities they oppose. From the current “Palestine Action” protests in the UK to the historic struggles of South Africa and India, the act of refusing food remains a potent tool for those who feel unheard.

Current Context: The Palestine Action Hunger Strikes (2025)

As of late 2025, the UK has become a focal point for this tactic. Four members of Palestine Action are currently engaged in hunger strikes within British prisons. These activists were detained following direct actions at Elbit Systems facilities and RAF bases, protesting the UK’s defense ties with Israel.

The strikers are demanding:

• Fair trial rights and improved prison conditions.
• The removal of the movement from the UK’s “terror” list, a classification implemented in July 2025.
• Increased transparency regarding the UK’s role in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Medical reports indicate that several protesters have already faced hospitalization, sparking a legal battle against the government and drawing international scrutiny toward British judicial policies.

Historical Milestones of Hunger Strikes

1. The Irish Republican Movement

In the early 20th century, Irish Republicans utilized the “fast” to demand recognition as political prisoners rather than common criminals.

• 1920 Cork Strike: Lord Mayor Terence MacSwiney died after 74 days without food, garnering global sympathy for Irish independence.
• 1981 H-Block Strike: Perhaps the most famous instance, where Bobby Sands was elected to the British Parliament while starving himself to death. He and nine others died, significantly shifting the political landscape of the “Troubles” and bringing intense pressure on Margaret Thatcher’s government.

2. Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian Independence Struggle

Gandhi transformed the hunger strike into a spiritual and political philosophy known as Satyagraha (holding to the truth).

• The 1943 Fast: While under house arrest in Pune, Gandhi fasted for 21 days to protest the mass arrest of Indian National Congress leaders.
• Jatin Das: Another Indian revolutionary, Jatin Das, died in 1929 after a 63-day fast protesting the treatment of political prisoners, an event that drew over 500,000 people to his funeral.

3. Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Detention

Hunger strikes are a frequent tool for Palestinians held under “administrative detention”—a practice where individuals are detained without trial or charge.

• Khader Adnan: In May 2023, Adnan died after an 86-day hunger strike. His death highlighted the systematic use of long-term detention without trial. Statistics suggest that thousands of Palestinians have participated in collective “mass strikes” over the decades to protest medical negligence and isolation.

4. Resistance Against Apartheid in South Africa

On Robben Island in 1966, political prisoners including Nelson Mandela launched a strike to protest racial segregation within the prison and forced labor in lime quarries.

• The Turning Point: The strike was uniquely successful when the prison wardens themselves began a hunger strike for better conditions, forcing the authorities to negotiate with both guards and prisoners within a week.

The Ethics and Controversy of Force-Feeding

A major point of contention in hunger strikes is force-feeding, a practice widely condemned by human rights groups and the World Medical Association as a form of torture.

• Guantanamo Bay: Reports from 2005 and 2013 detailed “torture chairs” where detainees were strapped down and fed via nasal tubes. At its peak in 2013, over 100 detainees participated in strikes to protest their indefinite detention without charge.

Why Hunger Strikes Remain Effective Today

Hunger strikes work not through physical force, but through moral and media leverage. In an age of 24-hour news cycles, the “slow-motion” nature of a hunger strike creates a ticking clock that forces governments to react.