#university encampment

[kagansune]

A Reflection on the Pro Palestine Encampment in Pittsburgh

Over the past few days I've been spending a lot of time at the encampment in Pittsburgh PA. And if y'all would humor me I've had a lot of thoughts floating around in my mind and I wanted to write down my experience.

I'm not super involved in political activism in general. I find it exhausting to think about how terrible things are and for my own mental health I tend not to look at the news too much. I had heard that some universities had started encampments. but it wasn't until Friday I learned there was one a bus ride away from where I lived. On Friday I woke to a text from a friend that said "hey there's a rally for Palestine here, you should come if you can they need bodies."

While I am not such a fan of talking the talk super loudly. I am absolutely a fan of doing. So I went and bought snacks and Gatorade and hopped on a bus. When I got there I was surprised to see a snack tent FULL of donations. I saw people who had been there for days and some people who got off the bus when I did.

I didn't anticipate an Encampment, All I heard was rally, but after the rally, and after the march I stayed as long as I could. I heard that the mayor's office sanctioned it till Monday. Then I went home fed my cats and played video games.

Saturday I came back. This time I brought a large bag of painting supplies, a sketchbook and a reading book. I didn't know that there actually activities planned for the day. I came in and there was a group of 15 or so people mending and had sewing in the middle of camp. I sat down next to them and began to paint.

Over the next few hours as I painted. I painted the encampment. people came and went. News crews came and went, each with a camp warning to put on masks if you didn't want to be identified. And different professors came and lead discussions. Some on topics I understood. Some that truly enlightenment me and changed my thinking. There were counter protestors but they were peaceful, and the organizers made sure of it to.

When I finished the painting I gave it to the organizers and they asked if they could auction it off for fundraising. I said yes. I don't know if that's what will happen. I hope it is, but even if it's not, it's in the hands of the people who built what I painted. They deserve it more than anyone.

After the last of the lectures and chants and sing-a longs. I went home. I sat on my couch in silence for what must have been an hour or two. But my mind was not silent, I listened to the music of their chanting, the wind in the trees, the desperation in their voices, it rang in my ears even as I went to sleep.

Sunday (today) When I got to the camp the sun was high in the sky and people were frantically moving tarps to make shade and getting ice and water. I had come with my art supplies again but today I did not use them. Today I helped the camp function. I participated in discussions. I made shade. I asked organizers how I could be of use.

When the rally and the march came the 30 some people who were there when I arrived had turned into over 100. maybe even 300. I'm not sure. The police blocked off the block and stood at the ready. We heard speeches from Palestinians, from Jewish students, from Organizers with no affiliation at all. And the diversity of the crowd... age, race, religion. I have never seen a greater rainbow of humanity in my life.

Part way through the march I went back to camp to drink water. I put myself to work with the other 10 or so people left to guard it. we organized the food and medical tents. we ran water out to the marchers. we got dinner from a donors car and brought it in.

When I left to go home they were still out there, a hundred strong standing and chanting in front of the cathedral of learning. mind you, 2 hours had passed since the rally had begun.

I was home 10 minutes when I heard the riot police had shown up.

I thought to earlier in the day. There had been a seminar on what to do if you get arrested. I was only half paying attention during it. I remember talking to the person next to me. we both planned to leave our phones and water bottle at camp, but even so, we doubted we would get arrested. I wonder if she's okay right now.

I walked to the grocery store, I brought my headphones but I didn't use them. My head was still filled with the noise, the chanting, the crying, the desperation. but also the joy, the love, the hope. I see the university students strong and hardened in their stance. I see the professors and older community members crying with pride and pain, knowing what comes next. A hundred painting I could make fill my head. I listened the music of the wind in the trees as I saw the Cathedral of Learning standing tall in the distance. A beacon of contradiction.

Disclose. Divest. We will not Stop we will not Rest.

Disclose. Divest. We will not Stop we will not Rest.

From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.

From the Sea to the River, Palestine will Live Forever.

I hope they're ok.

I hope they will all, be okay,

[flower-tea-fairies]

That part

[moonlayl]

[pasteldenatas]

Listen Up Columbia! — Portraits from a campus in crisis Photographed by Gabriella Gregor Splaver

[sayruq]

[nando161mando]

[mmi-mii]

protests are supposed to make privileged people uncomfortable btw

[raatteeth]

within the past hour the NYPD raided Colombia university where no press is currently being allowed btw

[mirkobloom77]

🇵🇸💚 A mariachi band joins the Columbia encampment!

🔹 Original caption: A mariachi band joined the encampment and sung Cielito Lindo to students at Columbia. “Oh, oh, oh, oh, sing and do not cry, because singing cheers up, pretty little darling, our hearts.”

🔸 Sources: Wear The Peace and Gerald Dalbon (footage)

[sleevebuscemii]

@the_algerian_globetrotter McGill University

[decolonize-the-left]

Now that broken glass is being used to justify arresting and tear gassing people at student encampments, it's really important that you quickly understand why we need to prioritize human lives over property.

If protesters break windows the worst case scenario for these profitable universities are that they have a higher co-pay on insurance and some short term costs that some zionist's gfm will surely try to raise money for

Worst case scenario for Palestine and protesters is death or worse.

Broken glass or windows can not be a good enough reason to stop supporting them, or to allow police brutality and cruelty. Don't buy into that propaganda as news articles start to portray these protesters like people who Deserve to be abused for their behavior.

They don't. Nobody does. That's the whole point.

Don't fall for their shows. If the police or politicians or the universities across the USA cared about human lives they can divest from Israel like protesters are demanding.

[comrade-onion]

Some more advice to the students ❤️🇵🇸

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

“There are principles and there are human lives that matter more than our careers and our futures. …the commitment to Gaza runs deeper than fears for our safety, fears for our careers, fears for our paychecks. It is a fundamental obligation we have as citizens of a country that is presiding over, arming this genocide, and as students at a university that is invested in those same weapons manufacturers and that has partnered with the same apartheid institutions that train that military and develop its technology. …For me the next step is a simple one… to keep fighting with every breath we have, with everything we have for the people of Gaza, because the blood of those kids is on our hands…”

If we can’t put stopping this brutality before our own fears about career, reputation, fucking profits - we’ve misunderstood the assignment of being a human.

Repost from @mo_hamz

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‼️EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING NEEDS TO WATCH AND HEAR THIS INTERVIEW‼️

[sayruq]

[tikkunolamresistance]

A brilliant graphic from protectpalestineorg — 30 universities with the largest endowments in the USA , currently hosting encampments to protest against their institutions investments in the State of Israel. Harvard University contributing the most in Israeli investments, totalling $50 billion.

After a successful hunger strike in February, Darthmouth (New Hampshire) has begun a divestment process.

As of April 28th there are currently no encampments at: John Hopkins (MD), UVA (VA) and Notre Dame (IN).