Occupy Auckland hunger striker eight days without food
A protester from the Occupy Auckland movement has been refusing food since last Monday. He explained that he is taking this action to focus attention on the thousands of people in New Zealand who live under the poverty line, many having insufficient resources to provide basic food for themselves and their families.

Hunger striker Andy Hendrie, 41, said: “It’s not only the 200,000 children who live in poverty, as has been identified by groups such as the Child Action Poverty Group, but friends who work with the elderly know that many of them have as little as $20 each week for food once they have paid their bills. Our youth are affected by unemployment, and many resort to living off food from dumpsters and leftover meals in foodcourts”.

“We are breading a generation of youth who actually hate the 1%.” Hendrie says. “Eating has become a privilege in New Zealand. The trajectory of gap increase between rich and poor, now going on for decades despite rhetoric from our governments about economic growth, may well lead to scenes similar to what we are now seeing in Greece and other countries. This is on the horizon if nothing is done about the fact that in this rich country, many are living with hunger every day.”

Leading New Zealand Stock Exchange companies were contacted last week with a proposal requesting a 0.01% contribution of last years profits to contribute to a series of food supply depots around Auckland. The food outlets would be constructed and operated by a mixture of professional and volunteer labour using contributions from businesses and central and local government

Hendrie has given no indication of when his hunger strike might end, although the past eight days have taken their toll. His action sends a loud and clear signal that the Occupy movement is not only angry with the state of the world and is ready to tell people about it, but it is again proposing the practical steps that could be made to make a change.

ENDS

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