As protesting continues with increasing tension but steadfast resolve, it’s interesting to see how the country has been reacting. There’s also a confusing idea around protest being democratic but only the type of protest that doesn’t exist- a non disruptive one. It’s been clear (for a long, long time) while the government says protesting is a part of a healthy democracy they really don’t mean it.

Protests have been happening for centuries in different capacities. One of the most famous protests was the catalysts for the start of the United States and is lauded in classrooms as a daring act of bravery and demonstration of the people’s will to self-govern, for autonomy. Let us not get wrapped up in the inherent racism of them dressing up as Indians to go through with the protest and forget there was still slavery going on so there were plenty of people who had more on their minds than tea tax. The slave rebellions can be considered protests, but it does feel like protest is not a big enough word for what they were fighting for. The point is protest is important. It is integral in showing others why you believe in something and what you’re willing to sacrifice for it, express your feelings of frustration and helplessness with a created community for a cause, and it’s a beacon for others who may not have the means or the ability to be a physical participant in the movement, but still do the work from where they are, celebrating their counterparts.

I think we all know where this is going, yes, the encampments on college campuses. Protests that are spurning all over this nation, pleading for a ceasefire now in Gaza. The climbing death tolls are indefensible and the alarming amount of money being sent to fund this genocide is unconscionable. The students are doing what many before them have done, making their voices known by putting their bodies on the line and their hearts on their sleeves. Now, I want to address something I’ve also been seeing reported in the same breath of the protests and that’s the insinuation that these students wish ill to all Jewish people and want to eradicate Israel. I have been to a fair number of protests and there are absolutely ranges of thought within any given one, but to demonize every single person involved is disingenuous and is so obviously a ploy to discredit an incredibly important movement. I want to be very careful here, because this is a sensitive topic, but supporting a ceasefire and wanting to preserve the sanctity of innocent lives is not implicitly anti-semitic. I, for one, can empathize with Israelis who are feeling scared and angry about what happened on October 7th. I can understand being frustrated with not agreeing with their own government but getting automatically judged based on their nationality. While it’s not lost on me the complicated feelings but very clear history of Israel, as with everything that exists in this world, there is a nuance that is easily forgotten when fighting. It’s a tactic that makes it easier to malign people to justify sweeping mistreatment. Statements like, “If you support Israel, you’re a Zionist,” or “If you support Palestine, you’re antisemitic,” are what fuels divide and doesn’t give way for discussion. They’re strikingly clear, cut and dry. But they’re not clear, because someone who supports Israel may be supporting their right to defend themselves BUT wholeheartedly don’t agree with what is happening in Gaza. Someone who supports Palestine may chant from the river to the sea but they are not calling for the extinction of Jewish people, they are shouting for a free Palestine that is all of its own without occupation or restriction. Yes, there are sentiments in between that are nefarious and hateful, but on the most part what people want is for this bloodshed to stop.

So, what are these students doing? They are using protest methods to cause upheaval at their schools and are getting attention on an issue that the government is struggling to address with a modicum of decency and unsurprisingly without resolve. So, because our government consists of a bunch of bureaucrats that are more inclined to balance checkbooks than protect human life, students are using what little power they have to push for change. It gave me great pride to see that my alma matter SUNY Purchase has joined the campus protests. Encampments on campuses is such a stark visual that should be making you think of how people are currently living in Gaza, but with much less means and without an end to their struggle in sight. Our country is funneling BILLIONS of dollars into military spending that is directly affecting the lives of Palestinians and it is absolutely time for it to stop. The destruction of Hamas is not worth the thousands of innocent lives already lost and are projected to be lost due to famine and lack of medical treatment. There has to be another way. There must be another way. People are dying everyday while politicians sit safely behind guards and walls and policy. It’s almost unbelievable how many lives have been lost already- over 36,000 - thirty six THOUSAND people are no longer on this earth because of this war. The breakdown is even more harrowing, (from Google)

As of 8 May 2024, over 36,000 people (34,844 Palestinian and 1,410 Israeli) have been reported as killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 97 journalists (92 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 employees of UNRWA.

That is a staggering disparity and a sickening number. I am not afraid to say I firmly believe a ceasefire is necessary and I stand with all the students and people who have been unabashedly vocal about the devastation and destruction perpetrated by this war.

Now, let’s get to how the campuses are reacting to these encampments with almost military force subsequently making a painfully clear argument for the need to rethink policing. Hundreds of students have been arrested, there has been some violence reported, but I have a feeling police showing up with riot gear may not have helped in the first place. It is always baffling to me how flawed the framework is for responding to protests yet we continue to use it, expecting what different results? I believe this is the definition of crazy. Students are not backing down and are continue to demand accountability from these institutions. You can read about the Hind Hall students’ demands here. There are multiple protests happening on that campus simultaneously, which is a testament to their level of organizing and is truly exceptional. Most students across the country are demanding divestment, distance, and denouncement of funding genocide. It is disheartening to say the least how much power money has over these campuses. So much so they’re willing to put students’ lives at risk in order to continue operating under the status quo. Those are the real villains, not the students. I understand it costs a lot to run an entire school, but at what point does it start to matter how/where the money comes from? At what point is it deemed inhumane to turn an eye to genocide in order to educate? It seems like that education becomes tainted in some way, just as it always has been I guess. When will it stop?
The students are demanding it stop now.

Wishing all the students who are in encampments, all the students supporting the encampments, and all the students who understand why the encampments are necessary a wonderful weekend. I’m rooting for them just as I will continue to press for a ceasefire now(!) however I can. And please write to your state and local politicians about sending your tax dollars to this war. Even if you can’t join a march or set up an encampment, flooding inboxes officials both virtually and physically is still a form of protest.