New Hampshire Airman Stages Hunger Strike
at White House to Protest War in Gaza
Ross Ketschke / WMUR

MANCHESTER, NH (April 2, 2024) — An active-duty airman who was born and raised in New Hampshire is staging a hunger strike outside the White House to protest the ongoing war in Gaza.

Senior Airman Larry Hebert is on day three of his hunger strike in Washington, D.C. He’s on leave from the Air Force and was most recently deployed in Spain.

Hebert said he did not know much about Israel and Gaza before the fighting began, but he said the images coming out of the war zone were something he could not ignore.

The Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7 killed about 1,200 people, and more than 250 people were kidnapped. Some are still being held captive.

Hebert said he did not know much about Israel and Gaza before the fighting began, but he said the images coming out of the war zone were something he could not ignore.

The Hamas attack in Israel on Oct. 7 killed about 1,200 people, and more than 250 people were kidnapped. Some are still being held captive.

He calls what is happening in Gaza a genocide and said that U.S. leaders have failed to uphold their own values.

“I want people to stop being complicit in the genocide, plain and simple,” Hebert said.

“Until there are steps towards peace, I can’t go back to supporting the mission. It’s against my conscience. It’s against most people’s,” he said.

Hebert said he plans to stay outside the White House all week. On Monday, he’ll move to the U.S. Capitol to continue his hunger strike outside Congress as lawmakers come back from their recess.