UBC Students Launch Hunger Strike to Demand Divestment from Human Rights Violations

Vancouver, BC – On March 17, 2025, students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) begana hunger strike to demand that the university divest from companies complicit in violations of international human rights law. The hunger strike is part of a month of action for Gaza and the West Bank, an initiative among university-based Palestine solidarity movements nationwide.
The hunger strike aims to shed light on UBC’s double standards in investment practices and ongoing financial ties to weapons manufacturers and corporations designated by the United Nations as complicit in violations of international law.
Despite years of letters, petitions, marches, encampments, meetings, and research documents, the UBC administration has refused to take action. Students now say they have exhausted all other means of communication.“We have done everything possible to engage in dialogue, but UBC refuses to listen,” said hunger striker Sarah.
“As students, staff, and faculty, we do not want our scholarships and academic programs funded by human suffering. We are left with no choice but to escalate our resistance.”
A Nonviolent, High-Impact Protest
The hunger strike is being held in the AMS Student Nest, providing a space for students to gather in solidarity. Organizers emphasize that the strike will be disciplined, non-violent, legal, and non-disruptive while still maximizing visibility and impact. Throughout the action, hunger strikers and allies will raise awareness of the long history of hunger strikes in Palestinian prisons, Indigenous-led resistance movements like Idle No More, and broader global struggles for liberation. Programming will include:
•An ongoing vigil
•A community library with books, zines, and pamphlets on divestment and global
liberation movements •Live interviews with solidarity activists and scholars
•Poetry readings •Teach-ins •Daily updates on the situation on the ground in Palestine
•Art activities
Media Contact: May Lim
ubc4gaza@protonmail.com