[from Bay Area Indymedia]
On March 8 we were informed by Eric McDavid's lawyer that he is now on
hunger strike. Last month there was some confusion regarding this
issue. At the beginning of February Eric engaged in a brief fast
because he could not cope with the food that the jail provided. This
was incorrectly interpreted as the beginning of a hunger strike. Later
he was interviewed by a jail nutritional nurse who recommended that he
be given two vegan protein shakes a day. Eric patiently waited and
went through all channels to get these shakes. Finally, after
extensive inquiry his family found out that the doctor had denied Eric
the shakes, citing the need for a "health reason". Eric believes that
it is the jail's responsibility to feed him and has stopped buying
food from the commissary. In a declaration submitted to Judge England,
Eric wrote "I have done everything possible to get a vegan diet here
at the jail, without success. I have written to the jail medical
staff, had numerous meetings with jail supervisors, done everything.
They will simply not provide me with a vegan diet, for whatever
reason."
Without food from the commissary Eric had no protein sources in his
diet and was living off of bread and frozen fruit. Then on March 8
Eric informed his lawyer he had stopped eating and began a hunger
strike. Eric's veganism has not been taken seriously by the court, but
it is an important way of life for him. As he wrote in his
declaration, "…my vegan beliefs and morality are animated by the way
of living which shows a respect for all life, recognizing the rights
of living creatures…It is a truly ethical relationship between humans
and other living creatures…It is healthier for me and the planet I
live on." It is clear that the Sacramento County Jail has no such
concerns. Eric's attorney has been untiring in his attempts to improve
Eric's confinement conditions while simultaneously working towards
Eric's ultimate release. He has appealed the denial of bail, noting in
his written motion that Eric is not allowed outdoor exercise or vegan
food, is having his mail held up and is being denied a wide range of
privileges usually granted to pretrial detainees. Thus far these
efforts have fallen on deaf ears.
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full story: http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/03/1806990.php
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