The Encampments: A portrait of a protest for Palestine that moved America
In the early hours of 17 April 2024, hundreds of students quietly set up an encampment in the main quad of Columbia University in Morningside, New York City.
Inspired by the actions of the anti-Vietnam war protests of the late 1960s, the students dubbed the lined tents on the lawns of the campus "The Liberated Zone."
Student demands were clear. They called for the disclosure of university investments in companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and called for divestment from these companies.
Given its place as an incubator of American leadership, the student actions at Columbia incensed the political elite, wheeling Columbia University to the forefront in a war over public opinion on Palestine.
University condemnation of the action was swift. Within hours, administrators threatened to shut down what they saw as a carbuncle on the famous campus. On the evening of 18 April, police in riot gear were ushered in.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
35 minutes ago
- Gulf Today
Several US cities brace for new anti-Trump protests
Several US cities braced for a new round of protests on Wednesday over President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration raids, as parts of Los Angeles spent the night under curfew in an effort to quell five days of unrest. Officials were also preparing for nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations on Saturday, when tanks and armored vehicles will rumble down the streets of Washington DC, in a military parade marking the US Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with the president's 79th birthday. The governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, said he will deploy the National Guard on Wednesday ahead of planned protests. Already this week, demonstrations have broken out in Austin, Texas, New York, Atlanta and Chicago, among other cities. A person holds a "Protesting Is Not A Crime!" sign as people demonstrate before marching downtown as protests against ICE immigration raids continue in the city in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday. AFP Trump's decision to send National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles has sparked a national debate on the use of military on US soil and pitted the Republican president against California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. Trump has claimed that the deployment prevented the violence from raging out of control, an assertion Newsom and other local officials said was the opposite of the truth. 'This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk. That's when the downward spiral began,' Newsom said in a video address on Tuesday. 'He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety. Democracy is under assault.' Protesters demonstrate before marching downtown as protests against ICE immigration raids continue in Los Angeles, California. AFP Newsom, who is widely expected to mount a presidential run in 2028, sued Trump and the Defense Department on Monday, seeking to block the deployment of federal troops. Trump in turn has suggested that Newsom should be arrested. Hundreds of Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday under orders from Trump, who has also called up 4,000 National Guard troops to the city. The Marines and National Guard are assigned to protect government personnel and buildings and do not have arrest authority. People protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids at San Antonio City Hall in San Antonio, Texas. AFP About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 50 km south of Los Angeles on Tuesday, awaiting deployment to specific locations, a US official said. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the deployments were not necessary and that local police could manage the protests, which have been largely peaceful and limited to about five downtown streets. But the mayor elected to impose a curfew over one square mile of the city's downtown starting on Tuesday night after several businesses were looted during the unrest. The curfew will last several days. Reuters
Middle East Eye
6 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
West Bank: Israeli settlers seal off access to village for fifth consecutive day as part of campaign to displace residents
Palestinians in the village of al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus in the West Bank face potential displacement from their homes after Israeli settlers started both an online and physical campaign to demolish homes, according to Wafa news agency. Israeli settlers have threatened to demolish more than 20 homes in the village, located on the main road linking the cities of Nablus and Ramallah. For the fifth consecutive day, dozens of Israeli settlers have stormed the main entrance to the village and performed Talmudic rituals, obstructing people coming in and out. The Israeli military have supported the settlers by sealing off the iron gate at the main entrance to the village according to Wafa. The in-person campaign started 12 days ago, and Israeli settlers have closed off the main entrance to the village seven times over the past 12 days. On Sunday evening, the campaign intensified after Israeli settlers shared posts on social media calling for the Israeli military to demolish homes and infrastructure on the main street of the village. Wafa said the settlers have posted incendiary material against the villagers - particularly against schools located on the main street. The Israeli settlers also announced they would demonstrate every evening at 7:30pm local time at the main entrance and close the village until demolition is carried out.
The National
10 hours ago
- The National
Judge says Trump cannot detain Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump 's administration cannot use US foreign policy interests to justify its detention of Columbia University student and activist Mahmoud Khalil. The judge said that Mr Khalil's legal team had shown that his continued detention is causing irreparable harm to his career, his family and his right to free speech. The government had until Friday to appeal. Mr Khalil, who was a leader in campus pro-Palestine protests last year, is being held in an immigration detention centre in Louisiana after he was arrested in early March and threatened with deportation. The State Department revoked his green card under a little-used provision of immigration law granting the Secretary of State the power to seek the deportation of any non-citizen whose presence in the country is considered to be adverse to US foreign policy interests. The White House has also accused Mr Khalil of disseminating Hamas propaganda during the protests. A judge in Louisiana had previously ruled that the US government could proceed with efforts to deport him. He was denied furlough in late April to attend the birth of his first child. His arrest was part of a Trump administration crackdown on so-called anti-Semitism on university campuses. The administration has deemed pro-Palestine protests to fall under this umbrella.
