“Hunger Strikes Informative.” Today is August 12th, 2026.
Just earlier today, someone came up to me and asked me about the weight loss that I had experienced over my 30-day hunger strike because they were planning on going on a three-day water fast, essentially not eating food, just drinking water, and were hoping to lose some pounds. It occurred to me that [unclear] and I dissuaded this person from doing something of that sort. I said, “You know what? I recommend that you go walk around outside, or find some time in your already busy schedule, or make the time to go do some legitimate exercises. You’re more likely to burn off weight permanently that way, and it’s healthier and technically safer.” And so it occurred to me that I should bring up a couple of points about going on a hunger strike.
I want to make it clear that I do not, in any way, shape, or form, want to dissuade anybody from using this as a form of peaceful and legitimate protest. It is absolutely that, but there are things you should know. You cannot go into a hunger strike willy-nilly, on a whim. You’re putting your body through incredible stresses. After a week or so, you’re starting to put your mind through stresses, and so you need to do your research. I spent several weeks, and that’s on top of a decade of reading prison stories and activist stories that include things such as direct actions, such as a hunger strike.
I was working with 30 pounds of extra weight. I was 180 pounds, where my mean weight on the street was approximately 150. More specifically, the weight that I was carrying was extra weight that comes from a diet of fish and rice, vegetables, generally healthy living. I do not eat a lot of sugars or snack foods full of ingredients that I can’t pronounce. So, when my body did start eating, pulling from its own fat resources, which is the first place it goes — because that’s what fat is, it’s a storage for lean times — what it was getting was quality proteins, minerals, and vitamins. It wasn’t getting unpronounceable preservatives, sugar, and junk. And I’m firmly of the belief that that played a major role in the fact that I only lost 20 pounds over 30 days, because when my body started eating itself and pulling from those reserves, it was actually getting what it needed, because once that passes, then it starts eating at your muscles, your tendons and ligaments, your organs. You start facing the risk of heart attacks, strokes. These things are very real. They’re not just some thing to scare you. They are a thing of concern.
I was getting weekly blood tests and urinalysis that the doctors were monitoring. I started experiencing what’s called acidic ketosis, which is a result of the body eating fat as a side effect. I’m sure there were other things going on, and eventually I’m going to get my medical records so I can actually see the specifics to that. My point is, is that I knew exactly what I was doing when I went into this, and I had a general idea of the physiological responses. In in the world of survival and living in the woods, and even in like, I’m sure, SEAL training, there are four laws of threes: 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without heat, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. I went 9 days past that 3-week mark. Now, granted, these are all averages. I drank water every day. At one point, I was drinking an average of 3 liters a day, which is what the average human being needs to drink, and I was diluting some of the minerals and salts in my body, and I actually had to cut back my water, and I had to have a doctor tell me that because it was one of the things I did not know going into this. So, I want to caution people to make sure that when you take a direct action, you understand what you’re getting into, and if there are other options — which I was constantly asked if there were — in my opinion, things I could do other than a hunger strike that, they might be a better, more viable option.
When you’re in a prison environment, your options are extraordinarily limited. If you try to create a work stoppage, you’re inciting a riot. Even at higher levels, going on a hunger strike in Virginia can get the s**t kicked out of you. Pardon my language. There are things to be concerned about. And so, anytime you do something like this, you have to be aware of what you’re doing, and it’s any kind of direct action. Even writing letters to people can get you in trouble inside of prisons because they don’t want people knowing what’s going on. I was very fortunate in the location that I was at because there was very much an attitude of no retaliation, and as I pointed out in my wrap-up, one of the biggest surprises for me was just how considerate the staff in the solitary confinement unit were, and I specifically spoke on this, and how the administration has followed up with no retaliation, including when my property was packed up because I was sitting in solitary for 22 days of my 30. I’ve gotten every single stitch of it back, not a single item missing. Whereas on other compounds I’ve been to in Virginia, that would not likely have been the case.
Another thing to consider is the preparedness. I went 10 days before I told anyone in the DOC, as I pointed out in my declaration. If I had not done that and not taken the time to send letters out and make phone calls, I would have been held completely incommunicado, and none of you would have known a damn thing about what I was doing. To wrap all this up, because I am droning on at this point: never ever take any sort of action, especially if it’s going to impact your body in a negative way, without doing the research and fully understanding what you’re getting into. People don’t even go on a religious fast for three to seven days without being aware that they have to drink water regularly and take other precautions: blood pressure drops, dehydration, etc. So, I just want to caution people.
I’m not telling you to not do these things. Direct action becomes more and more important with every passing day. Just take a good look at what’s going on with the Prairie case and people who were falsely labeled as some made-up non-terroristic group just to be labeled terrorist and given excessive sentences. So, direct action becomes more and more necessary with every passing day. What I am saying is, understand what you’re getting into and do it well, and be prepared, and make sure that you have people who know and a backup plan. That’s all. I just think that a public service announcement was required for something of this nature. My name’s David Annarelli. Thank you for listening. You can find me on Substack, Instagram @david_annarelli, and as usual, Google me. Talk hard and resist. Peace.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
