“I have very little body fat left at the moment. This will probably be my last goodbye“. A video recorded on July 10, 2020, contained the words: John Shepherd. A former English teacher who was 62 years old at the time. 40 days before the announcement He’s on hunger strike for a bizarre lawsuit with the Marriott hotel chain.. He accused them and the Minor chain of building a parking lot in Bangkok (Thailand), causing him to eventually lose his home. And he demanded 3.5 million lira compensation from them.
This lawsuit was echoed by the mainstream British media, who insisted on Shepherd’s delicate health. Even Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London at the time, sought clemency from the hotel chain after the case was made public. “Considering your current situation and vulnerability, I am writing to encourage you to: Consider getting closer to John one more time. It would have been tragic for him to end his life as he saw no other solution.”
But he this wasn’t his “last goodbye”, just as advertised. Shepherd eventually dropped that strike, but returned to the blame. And this time he decided to do it from the inside. Last Thursday, she donned a wig and booked a room at NHow London, a brand new hotel newly opened in London by Spanish chain NH. Since his enemies in Minor were part of the NH stock, Shepherd decided to begin his new adventure in one of his rooms.
notification
This was confirmed for the first time by El Periódico de España, who contacted the hotel chain. They confirmed this point from NH and issued a statement explaining that “on the afternoon of April 12, 2023, Nhow London Hotel learned of a guest’s intention to go on a hunger strike inside the room”. St. Mary’s, a Minor Hotels property and managed by Marriott International. Regis Bangkok Hotel over a decade ago, so his views were addressed at the time. appropriate action through relevant legal channels“.
According to their spokesperson, Minor Hotels’ position “remains the same on the core issue; The health and well-being of our guests is always very important to us.. Therefore, local London authorities have been informed. The Nhow London management team is working closely with authorities on guidance on the situation.”
The statement said, “The management team of Minor Hotels and Nhow London have expressed their concern for the guest’s well-being and stated that they expect a positive outcome. As soon as he walked in, he announced to the hotel staff that he had started a new hunger strike there so that he would not leave the room until they were done. satisfied their demands and that he put his life in the hands of the NHow workers”. A way forward similar to that of the first strike.
Hunger strike
The dispute between Shepherd and the hotel chains dates back to 2008, when the Briton lived in Bangkok, where he studied at Harrow International School in the Thai capital. There, in an apartment in St. St. before Minor International handed control over to Starwood, a hotel operator that later merged with Marriott. He had an apartment in the same area where he laid the foundation stone for the Regis hotel.
According to Shepherd, these studies created a series of discomforts in him. That’s why he started a campaign. protest campaign by sending letters to local newspapers, studies did not comply with current planning regulations. He reported that the unmentioned changes to the plans resulted in a parking lot near his apartment and that he had sewer problems.
After sending and publishing these letters, he was arrested by the Thai police. Authorities said he was being investigated on charges of insulting him. Later, while Shephard was traveling abroad, reported that there was an arrest warrant for some of his friends.. He decided not to return and later lost his apartment in a dispute with the apartment management company.
Shepherd, who believes that the arrest warrant and the confiscation of his apartment are always part of a plot against him, He started his first hunger strike at the beginning of June 2020. His case went viral in England, and even the highest religious circles spoke out. The professor then began uploading videos to his networks, where he assured that “if I die, it will probably be my first death by hunger strike to protest the company’s crime, Marriott will deliberately and ruthlessly observe me and let me die.” to intervene”.
At the time, Mariott CEO Arne Sorenson met with him and asked for a “fair for both parties” decision. But Shepherd, who insists the company harassed him, claims that the hotel chain categorically denies this. A Marriott spokesperson said Times He stressed that Mr. Shepherd “was given numerous opportunities to prove his claims against us, but he failed to do so”, that “the Small Hotels, not Mariott, were responsible for the construction of the St. Regis Hotel”, and all complaints should be handled by them”.
Shepherd ended her hunger strike a few days later and was never heard from again until this week. , attack a hotel in Minor. As of press time, Shepherd continued to riot in one of the rooms and start a new strike. He assures that hunger will be certain this time.