Dick Gregory Meets with Occupy D.C., Supports Fast for D.C.
Statehood  Human rights activist Dick Gregory met with members
of the Occupy D.C. movement on Dec. 17, to aid those fasting for
full democracy and push for residents’ demands for D.C.
statehood.  On Dec. 8, Sam Jewler, Adrian Parsons, Kelly Mears
and Joe Gray from Occupy D.C. began a fast refusing food and
consuming only water and vitamins in an indefinite hunger
strike. The group felt it was a necessary commitment to expedite
congressional action toward democracy for the District. Mears
dropped out recently due to health problems.  Gregory, 79, is
well known for several hunger strikes and fasts for human rights
causes and was sought by the group for advice. The three-hour
long meeting ended with Gregory joining the fast and adding an
additional demand to those posed by Occupy D.C. protestors –
D.C. statehood.  “First of all let me explain that you are not
on a hunger strike because it requires the total abstinence of
food and water. You are on a fas