NYC, NY – Over 100 NYU students and community members gathered at the Third Rail in Brooklyn to participate in a concert organized by the NYU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). The concert raised funds for Make the Road NY, an immigrant-led nonprofit that provides legal services and other aid to immigrants in the city. The concert raised $748 through ticket sales to donate to the organization and $396 through merchandise sales to help send members out to the SDS national convention this fall.

Levi, Badger Hunters, Bullseye, and Oldseye all performed sets varying in genres from anti-folk to country rock to punk. Outside of the venue, there was a campfire where people made smores and cooked hotdogs to eat while conversing. SDS members were at a table selling merchandise ranging from shirts to buttons. In between sets, speakers from various student activist groups spoke to the importance of fighting ICE, standing in solidarity with immigrants and fighting for a sanctuary campus.

Ebtesham Ahmed from the NYU Students for a Democratic Society emceed for the night, rallying the crowd with chants, introducing speakers and bands. Ahmed led the crowd in chanting “It is right to rebel! ICE and Trump go to hell!” and “We want justice you say how? Sanctuary right now!”

Calvin Kellenberger from the NYU Students for a Democratic Society stated, “Tonight, though, we have been given a rare opportunity. Tonight, resistance just so happens to be fun. All the proceeds from this show are going to support immigrant defense work being done right here in New York; and so tonight, resistance is movement, rhythm and melody. We’ve got a great set ready for you all tonight, and some more great speakers throughout, so relax, let loose, and let’s have a great night!”

Andres Luke from the NYU Young Democratic Socialists of America told the crowd, “So be it through YDSA, SDS, another other organizing body, a local community, be it through attending events, canvassing, promoting legislation, participating in walking groups, attending a deportation defense training, printing flyers, or even just taking them we must keep going. Change is possible but only through collective action and any effort towards moving the needle forward is worth it. We must fight to bring those 60,000 home. We reject ICE now and always. Make NYU a sanctuary campus, make New York a sanctuary city and make the United States a sanctuary nation.”

Sophie Franklin from the Students for International Labor Solidarity said, “Right now SILS is launching a campaign called DROP ICE! and we hope you’ll join us. We are calling on the university to urgently cut its direct monetary ties with corporations that house and transport ICE agents, such as Hilton and Enterprise and to promise and enforce a sanctuary campus.”

To end off the speeches for the night, Ahmed read the letter that was delivered to the university administration on February 20 alongside their petition, which now has 1000 signatures. Ahmed stated, though the administration has not yet responded nor met with SDS, they are confident they will have a sanctuary campus because the student group will continue to struggle and fight to win their demands. They led the crowd with the chant “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

Wrapping up for the night, eventgoers were encouraged to participate in a May Day student contingent happening to stand in solidarity with immigrants and workers. In addition, eventgoers were notified of the attempt to create a Turning Point USA chapter at NYU, with a promise from organizers to work hard to shut it down.

#NewYorkNY #NY #ImmigrantRights #SDS #YDSA #StudentMovement

Tallahassee, FL – On February 5, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and FSU Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) mobilized 90 people for a rally at the Integration Statue next to the FSU Student Union. The protesters then marched to Tanner Hall, FSUPD’s headquarters, to denounce its 287(g) agreement, which was signed behind closed doors and not shared publicly.

Nick Gonzalez, co-chair of outreach for Tallahassee SDS stated, “At a time when ICE is terrorizing communities, separating families, and murdering unarmed people in the streets, at a time when ICE is trying to acquire warehouses across the country, including in Orlando, to expand their operation and place more people in camps, FSU’s police and administration have abandoned us, the students they are meant to serve.”

Florida State University is part of a larger trend of higher education institutions signing these agreements. Universities all across Florida, including the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and at least 11 others have had their police departments sign onto 287(g) agreements with ICE.

These agreements make it dangerous for undocumented people to report crimes, making campuses less safe. They also enable campus police to adopt ICE standards of force, make warrantless arrests, and interrogate people on the basis of suspicion of their immigration status.

This is an expansion of the unconstitutional conduct of ICE and the DHS seen across the country, and subjects immigrant students to racial profiling and baseless interrogations. Students held signs and chanted “Shame on FSUPD! No 287(g)!” in front of Tanner Hall.

Tallahassee SDS and FSU YDSA’s collaboration on this event was focused on holding FSU accountable for its endorsement and participation in ICE terror, which has been ramping up across the country and is taking place within Tallahassee itself, with over 100 people being detained in May 2025.

FSUPD is not the only police department in Tallahassee that signed onto 287(g) behind closed doors. In early 2025, the Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad and TPD Police Chief Lawrence Revell entered into the agreement without consulting the city commission, undemocratically and preemptively signing on when not legally required to do so. After the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance fought to get the agreement onto the city commission’s ballot, the commission voted 3-2 for TPD to remain under 287(g), despite overwhelming opposition.

Local Tallahassee organizations and community members have consistently fought to pressure the city commission to end TPD’s collaboration with ICE, speaking on the issue again in public comment at the January 14 city commission meeting. At that meeting, the commission responded by repressing citizens for holding 8.5x11 signs, and ending the meeting early.

FSUPD attempted to engage in repression during the February 5 rally, going up to students who weren’t marshals and threatening to make arrests and post conduct charges, all because students were standing up against ICE violence. Despite threats of arrest, students refused to comply with blatant free speech violations and continued making their voices heard.

Tallahassee SDS and FSU YDSA will continue their coalition to revoke the 287(g) agreement from FSUPD’s policies, protect immigrant students, and end hate speech on campus. They and other community organizations will also be attending the city commission meeting on Wednesday, February 18 at 4 p.m. to make their demands heard.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS #YDSA

Orlando, FL – On Thursday, September 4, around 60 students at the University of Central Florida rallied and marched to demand the reversal of their university’s 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the establishment of a sanctuary campus.

The rally was led by UCF Students For A Democratic Society (SDS), who were joined by the UCF Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), and UCF Students For Education in Prison (SFEP), and others.

Speakers included the vice president of SDS, Vanessa Christaldi, who told the crowd, “Students should not have to feel afraid to go to school.” Erik Feyer emphasized the need for unity among students throughout the country in order to stand up to the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrant and international students.

The students then marched through the campus, with chants of “OPD, KKK, ICE they’re all the same!” and “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” Nearby, onlooking students and faculty shouted “Fuck ICE” and cheering the student protesters on.

The march ended at the campus’s main lawn, Memory Mall. Speakers finished up with calls to stand in solidarity with immigrant students, as well as urges for unorganized students to join one of the organizations that took part in the rally.

#OrlandoFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #SDS #YDSA #SFEP

Orlando, FL – On March 31, University of Central Florida (UCF) Students for a Democratic Society, Young Poet Society, and Young Democratic-Socialists of America came together to hold an open mic and fundraiser for Trans Day of Visibility, with all proceeds going towards Central Florida Mutual Aid’s Trans Safety Fund.

The goal of this event was to platform trans and queer voices on campus amid attacks on LGBTQ rights, including the recent unanimous decision by the UCF board of trustees to make it a conduct charge to use a bathroom that does not correspond with one’s “sex assigned at birth.”

The open mic portion of the event had about 15 speakers, including members of the hosting organizations. Most of the speakers performed spoken word poetry and statements on the current political climate nationally and on UCF campus.

One member of UCF Students for a Democratic Society opened up the event by breaking the news that the felony charges were filed against Chris Gibson, a UCF student and member of SDS. Many students came up to the UCF SDS table to ask for updates on the felony charges and how they can get involved.

The fundraiser itself raised over $230 for the Trans Safety Fund by selling crafts made by UCF students from a craft night held by Students for a Democratic Society the week before on Thursday, March 27.

Overall, the event was successful in bringing together UCF students and fundraising for the Trans Safety Fund, as over 50 attended to listen to poetry and statements from LGBTQ students and the fundraiser more than doubled its original goal of $100.

#OrlandoFL #FL #LGBTQ #TransDayofVisibility #SDS #YDSA #YoungPoetSociety

New York, NY – On January 24, over 50 NYU students gathered at a rally called by the NYU Students for a Democratic Society (NYU SDS) to protest against Trump’s backwards agenda for his second term as president. The rally took place at Garibaldi Plaza at Washington Square Park, a popular rallying spot for NYU student organizations. 

Students chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA!”, “Racist, sexist, anti-gay Donald Trump go away” and “Trump hear us loud and clear, immigrants are welcome here!” Hundreds of people walked by the rally, stopping for brief moments to take photos and videos or to catch parts of it. 

Speakers from the NYU SDS, NYU Queer Union, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine (NYU SJP), NYU Black Student Union and the NYU Young Democratic Socialists of America (NYU YDSA) brought attention to the various attacks that Trump had already launched or plans on launching on the American people, including the NYU student body. 

In response to these attacks, speakers called on the people to unite, build community and fight back. 

“We must continue to support efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion. To combat white supremacy, to fight against a world that only recognizes heterosexual attraction, to oppose a world where the gender binary is the only reality, we must be louder and more forceful,” said the speaker from the NYU Queer Union. 

The speaker for NYU YDSA, said “Let me tell you we cannot fall into this world of despair, misery and belief that all we can do is stand by as conditions get worse hoping that will wake people up on their own. The work starts now. To educate, agitate and organize for the better world that each and every one of us deserves.”

After the speakers, protesters marched by the NYU campus. As they marched, campus security officers ran to set up barriers by NYU Gould Plaza. Gould Plaza used to be a public space that anyone was able to enter. However, after the first encampment at NYU, the administration had walls and a checkpoint constructed, restricting access to the plaza to only NYU students. As protesters marched, they chanted “The students united will never be defeated” with hundreds of NYU students looking on and making way for the crowd. 

The march ended at Schwartz Plaza, the site of the NYU second encampment from last year. Schwartz Plaza is next to the John A. Paulson Center, named after a billionaire hedge funder who donated millions to the Trump campaign. Campus security rushed to put up barriers in front of the plaza to prevent protesters from entering it. 

Ebtesham Ahmed, the emcee and a member of NYU SDS, ended the rally by saying, “We will be here to resist. We will be here to fight back. No matter how much they try to repress our movement, they will fail. Because we are daring to struggle and daring to win! And from the bottom of my heart, I believe that we will win.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NYC #NYU #NYUSDS #SDS #NYUQueerUnion #NYUSJP #SJP #BSU #NYUBSU #NYUYDSA #YDSA #Trump #Inauguration

Madison, WI – In a show of student power, nearly 50 protesters marched into the UW board of regents meeting Thursday, December 5, to put Palestine and divestment on the Finance Committee agenda.

This latest militant action comes after a large-scale administration failure to uphold the Madison and Milwaukee encampment agreements on disclosure and divestment from apartheid Israel.

Despite the freezing temperatures, the students opened with a rally outside the event hall. During the rally, SDS and Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Kayla Patterson told the crowd, “The simple truth is that the board of regents stands on the wrong side of history. 13% of the over $1 billion in ‘UW managed funds’ is hidden from the public, hidden from the students that make up these campuses. But the UW system’s investments in crooked companies like Palantir, Lockheed Martin and Mizrahi Tefahot Bank are no secret. Those in power at our universities choose to represent the ruling class and their bank accounts over real human lives under siege in Palestine.”

Shortly after the “Business and Finance” portion of the meeting began, protesters moved inside to occupy the room with signs and banners. After a few minutes, Gabo Samoff of Madison Young Democratic Socialists stood at the front of the room and confronted the board for its refusal to divest from genocide and its failure to deliver after promising transparency.

Once Samoff began speaking, the meeting facilitator, Regent Ashok Rai, turned off the meeting’s recording to prevent the student’s statement from being on file. Samoff said, “We will not accept this total lack of transparency and lack of willingness to even listen to students.” Campus administrators quickly tried to silence the students, calling in police reinforcements, but it was in vain. The students refused to allow business as usual and began chanting “Free free Palestine!” while police tried to shove and drag them out of the room.

UW-Madison police descended on the crowd to push and grab people indiscriminately. Many were simply holding signs when cops wrongfully detained them, with one student even being dragged out by their neck. The disruption continued throughout these police assaults, and students began chanting “We won’t leave!”, refusing to be silenced by the police. Once detained, protesters showed their resolve further during police processing, stomping and chanting “Palestine is our fight! Students of the world unite!”. Defiantly, the students disrupted the meeting for 30 minutes.

In total, 19 were arrested from both the Madison and Milwaukee campuses for showing solidarity with Palestine. Many students were released with bruises and even bleeding from the zip ties. The police repression couldn’t shake the students from their cause.

Organizations coordinating the action involved the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Young Democratic Socialists (YDSA) at UW-Milwaukee, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and YDSA at UW-Madison, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Wisconsin.

After demanding the police release all the arrested activists, the crowd outside celebrated as each protester was released one by one. Milwaukee student organizer Cedar Lehman best summed up the energy post-action, stating, “Despite mounting political repression, we came to show the board of regents that no matter where in Wisconsin they hold their meetings, business as usual will not continue while they maintain their policy of 'neutrality’ toward genocide. We refuse to be intimidated by the administration's crooked cops that treat protest as justification for abusing and injuring their own students and community members.”

#MadisonWI #WI #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS #YDSA #SJP #FRSO #Feature

Milwaukee, WI – On November 21, the UWM Popular University for Palestine (PUP) Coalition took bold action to rename the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Golda Meir Library. As part of the National Students for Justice in Palestine’s International Strike for Palestine, students hand-delivered a petition signed by over 500 students, alumni, faculty and community members. The petition, denounced UWM’s dehumanizing language and policies toward Palestinians, and was brought to Chancellor Mark Mone’s office. The protest ended in a banner drop at the campus library, and a call for renaming the building to Electa Quinney Library.

Coalition member organizations including Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Muslim Student Association, and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) - led the campaign to put an end to UWM’s continued financial and academic ties to the genocidal state of Israel and to challenge the ongoing repression of Palestinian and pro-Palestine students on campus. 

Fed up with repeated dismissals of their demands by the administration, students taped the petition to the chancellor’s office’s doors at Chapman Hall before continuing their march to the library. The banner drop came after months of frustration with UWM administrators, who repeatedly dismissed student demands against the admin’s support of Israel as it carries out an ongoing genocide. Students also decried the library being named after a Zionist former prime minister of Israel, Golda Meir. 

The PUP coalition demands that UWM rename it to the Electa Quinney Library. Electa Quinney is Wisconsin’s first public schoolteacher and an indigenous woman from the Stockbridge-Munsee band of Mohicans. The demand represents the future that students want for UWM, “Just as countless institutions have removed the names of figures tied to oppression, UWM must take responsibility and rename the library,” said student organizer, Ameen Atta.

Over the last year, Muslim, Palestinian and pro-Palestine students have faced attacks for standing with Palestine, while the university administration does nothing but pay lip service. 

“Over the past year, UWM has undermined the safety of its Palestinian and Muslim students, and in many instances, put us directly in harm's way. Having a library named after someone who's basically denied the existence of Palestinian people only puts us in even more danger,” said Students for Justice in Palestine president, Waleed Nassar. “We’ve attempted literally all conventional means of communication with admin to address this issue of student safety, but all we are met with are empty promises and words of ‘sympathy.’” 

Despite the constant repression faced on campus, students and allies remain steadfast in their demands. The PUP coalition continues to fight for UWM to sever all ties - academic, financial, and social - with the state of Israel.

#MilwaukeeWI #UWM #SJP #SDS #UWMSDS #PUP #YDSA #InternationalStrikeForPalestine #GoldaMeir #FreePalestine #BDS #CulturalBoycott #AcademicBoycott #Israel #ElectaQuinney #NativePower #IndigenousPower #Mohican

Milwaukee, WI – On Wednesday, September 4, the UWM Students for a Democratic Society led a protest of 70 students endorsed by the UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition. The student organizations rallied defiantly in the face of their wrongful suspensions in front of the library named for Israeli war criminal Golda Meir.

The protest set the tone for the year on the second day of classes by relaunching the SDS campaign to change the name of the library and cut all ties with Israel. Instead of welcoming students, UWM administration sent multiple emails in the days before the start of school to the entire student body, attempting to intimidate students away from attending the protest. The UWM administration sent an email titled “Free Speech and its limits”, but in reality, they listed nothing but repressive anti-protest policies targeted at progressive students, shown with three SDSers facing suspension on top of all five UWM4Pali Coalition organizations having been suspended on July 31.

Cedar Lehman, a member of UWM Young Democratic Socialists of America, pointed out the University administration’s hypocrisy, stating, “Where was this response when, in 2019, an admitted Nazi was promoting antisemitic statements? Do you know who was punished as a result of this? The student who ripped up this Nazi’s sign.”

After over 330 days of the intensified genocide in Palestine, UWM administration had continued to repress pro-Palestine students, allowing for its corporate shareholders to hold sway. Still, the UWM4Pali Coalition hasn’t backed down. Calling out the heads of the university, Allux Arellano-Metoxen, member of UWM SDS, said, “Who should have the biggest say in how our tuition dollars are spent and how our education is handled? Not racist rich white board members and sponsors. Not soulless corporate shareholders. The students! Because what is a university with no students?”

To close out the protest, amidst echoes of “Long live the intifada!”, members of SDS spoke about the National SDS Walkout for Palestine to take place on October 7, commemorating a year of genocide, but more importantly, a year of struggle and resistance.

The walkout will be part of the Anti-War Action Network call for protests from October 5 to 7. UW -Milwaukee's impending walkout to protest the university’s refusal to cut ties with Israel will give the administration a taste of what’s to come if they don’t concede to the student’s demands.

A day after the September 4 protest, the UWM administration rescinded the interim suspension of all five student organizations stemming from a pro-Palestine Instagram story in July. This was due to the UWM4Pali Coalition waging a vigorous fightback. This included protests and the successful self-defense by all five organizations in two bogus, misguided investigations by the UW-Milwaukee Dean of Students Office and the Office of Civil Rights.

Eventually, after five weeks, the student organizations got the suspensions overturned. However, despite the sanctions being lessened by a year as a result of this case, UWM SDS is still suspended until September 2025, in addition to probation until December 2026.

The campus response to this deliberate targeting of SDS after a year of militant struggle is evidence that the student movement at UWM is landing blows and showing no signs of slowing down. Keep up with the student movement in Milwaukee on Instagram: @uwm4palicoalition, @sds_uwm, @sjpmilwaukee, @msauwm, and @uwmydsa.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SDS #SJP #StudentMovement #YDSA

Minneapolis, MN – On August 30, 150 University of Minnesota students, staff, faculty and community members rallied and marched from Morrill Hall to McNamara Plaza in response to the Board of Regents vote that happened earlier this week.

The Board voted on a resolution that would impose political and institutional neutrality on the university’s endowment fund. This vote was pushed by new University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham. It effectively makes any sort of divestment from Israel, or weapon manufacturers and other entities complicit in war crimes and human rights violations, impossible. It takes away any accountability that administration has to its students, to its staff, or to its faculty.

The protest was led by the UMN Divest Coalition, made up of Students for a Democratic Society, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and Young Democratic Socialists of America.

Since launching the divestment campaign last October, thousands of students have demanded that their university take action and divest from companies that are complicit in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Instead of standing with its students, even after 75% of students voted in favor of divestment, the University of Minnesota ignored the demands of divestment in favor of arresting and using cops on their students last spring.

As the UMN Students for Justice in Palestine president said during her speech at the rally, “We are not asking the University of Minnesota for charity; we are demanding an end to the complicity in genocide. Is profiting off of genocide politically neutral?”

At the same meeting as the neutrality vote, President Cunningham introduced a new policy that would effectively make any sort of protest on campus illegal. Students would have to apply for permits two weeks out if there’s to be a crowd over 100, are only allowed one bullhorn, and cannot have any signs or banners larger than 14 by 22 feet. The SJP president stated, “You can try to restrict our right to protest and not let us use our voices but let me tell you, you will lose [to the people] every time!”

The neutrality vote and protest policy were in direct response to the University of Minnesota encampment and its wins earlier this spring. As students go back to school, universities across the country are imposing harsher protest guidelines on their students. The University of Minnesota is doing the same.

The UMN Divest Coalition and UMN community will not stop and will not rest till we win divestment and a free and liberated Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #SJP #YDSA

“We reject a pride that is sponsored in any part by genocide, and we stand in solidarity with our martyred siblings,” Rainbow Guard and UTD YDSA explained in an Instagram post introducing the event. “We don’t want a pride that stands over the bodies of tens of thousands of people killed by hostile western/imperial forces in Sudan, Congo, and Palestine.”

“The message of the event was the power of community and queer solidarity,” Poorvi Joshi of YDSA remarked. “It was to show how successful an event with queer people in mind by queer people can be without corporate sponsorships and lax messaging about acceptance, and with themes of anti-racism, anti-imperialism, and anti-genocide instead.”

The event was held indoors at UTD, with colorful and inviting themed décor – balloons, flags, ribbons, disco lights – strewn across the spacious, dimmed venue. The attractions of the event were neatly arranged in sections, from the Artist Alley where artists set up and sold their creations and donated a portion of those proceeds to mutual aids efforts in Gaza, to the games and activities area where attendees could make friendship bracelets or play games – with a political bent to match the tone of the event.

Lively tunes from queer artists filled the air throughout the event, and a performance segment dedicated to show-stopping acts from dance groups and drag monarchs amplified the communal atmosphere.

“Before the invention of the rainbow pride flag, members of the Gay Liberation Front flew the Vietnamese flag in solidarity with the Vietcong at a time when that was considered treason, because they recognized their liberation is tied up with colonized people all over the world,” said Jo Hargis of DFW Anti-War Committee. “That’s the queer history I’m interested in upholding, and one we see today in many queer people’s solidarity with Palestine.”

In another speech, José Campos of UTD YDSA stated, “Organizations like Rainbow Guard at UTD build on these revolutionary legacies to fight against right-wing onslaughts against our community and corporate co-option. In Texas, several anti-LGBTQ policies have been passed within the last year which compel us to respond.”

Campos continued, “The government banned gender-affirming care for children, transgender students from playing in college sports, banned some public drag shows, and is dismantling DEI programs that have been safe havens for queer students, such as our previous Gender Center ,`which is forcibly retrofitted,” referencing the Galerstein Gender Center at UTD that provided gender-affirming services and support for the LGBTQ community before it was closed down following the Texas DEI ban.

“I thought all the speeches were really impactful,” attendee Tanmayi Akasapu affirmed, and commended “the message of the queer performances.” Another attendee, T Reyes, stressed that “we fostered confidence that only a community can inspire, and within that unity, we made financial gains for a [Gazan] family in need.”

C. Rajini, an organizer of the event, stated. “Rainbow Guard and other queer organizations that prioritize agitation against the powers that be are turning the tide away from liberalism and complacency, because they acknowledge that queer people in Sudan, Congo, and Palestine can’t celebrate Pride with bombs over their heads. Instead, they march towards overthrowing this reality, for a liberated one.”

#DallasTX #RainbowGuard #YDSA #Palestine

Milwaukee, WI – On June 6, the student movement steadfastly continued their efforts to get the University of Wisconsin System to disclose its funds and to divest from the apartheid regime of Israel.

At the June UW System board of regents meeting, approximately 15 students and community members entered the open-session financial meeting to disrupt the scheduled programming.

As this meeting was hosted at UW-Milwaukee, the UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition led the effort to get on the agenda. Kayla Patterson, a coalition leader as well as a member of UWM Students for a Democratic Society and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, led the disruption by standing and speaking directly to the board, going through the facts of the matter at hand.

Patterson echoed the calls of thousands in shaming the universities for complacency in genocide as she others followed by standing and holding signs reading “As we sit here, over 40,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered at the hands of the settler-apartheid regime of Israel, with thousands more reported missing under the rubble.”

As she continued with her speech, in came the cavalry. A mixed force of approximately 30 Milwaukee, Madison, Marquette, and Whitewater campus police aggressively grabbed the protesters, stating that they were under arrest, and herded them into a nearby building, where a total of 13 people were taken into custody.

These tactics were similar to the historic February 9 sit-in at UW-Milwaukee, where students saw ten different police precincts swarm the divestment protest in Chapman Hall.

The detained protesters are now banned from the student union through the month of June. They were let go with warnings that cited UW-Milwaukee policies and state statutes. There were also signs about the ban placed on-site as of June 6.

After the protesters were released, they started discussing upcoming strategy for further struggle in the campaign for the university to disclose and divest. A successful disruption and continuation of the encampment’s struggle was accomplished. The future of the student movement remains uncharted, but one thing is for certain – the students united will never be defeated.

The student solidarity movement that was sparked by the Columbia Gaza Solidarity encampment on April 17 brought a tsunami of student activism and civil disobedience, and the schools of the University of Wisconsin System were no different. After a week of watching the beginnings of a movement live-streamed, the UW System students gathered their resources and started Gaza solidarity encampments of their own.

UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee started their encampments on April 29, and UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse held sit-ins protesting their respective university’s complacency in genocide. After different degrees of struggle, schools made concessions, including calling for a ceasefire, condemning the destruction of Palestinian educational institutions , and meetings with financial foundations from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Students employed a diversity of tactics and actions and the student who participated in the many actions across the Universities of Wisconsin System have developed a target for their efforts – the UW board of regents.

The UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition includes Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Muslim Student Association (MSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Un-PAC UW-Milwaukee, and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA).

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #MSA #SJP #YDSA

Appleton, WI – After a massive rally and march throughout downtown Appleton on May 15 in commemoration of Nakba Day, the very next day, the student movement at Lawrence University took an action unseen on campus in decades.

Appleton Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), with the support of Lawrence University Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), staged a walkout and rally on May 16 to support their divestment campaign. Dozens of students joined them at the front of Main Hall. Energy was high, and, as students chanted, the energy only grew.

Theresa O’Donnell, a member of SDS, addressed the risks students must take, stating, “I have every intention on graduating June 9, but let me be clear that I have no reservations about jeopardizing a piece of paper to stand with the people of Palestine and a chance at the possibility of a livable future for all people on earth. The status and recognition from a piece of paper from a settler colonial institution that continues to ignore and thus enable the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people means little to me.”

After hearing from speakers, it was announced that students would be marching to the Warch Campus Center, bringing their demands for disclosure and divestment right before the board of trustees, whose investment committee was meeting at the time.

Students marched right to the doors of the meeting, chanting “Disclose! Divest! We will not stop, we will not rest!” and “Meet with us!” Representatives of SDS offered to send four students inside their meeting to present their demands, and their offer was dismissed by a number of Lawrence administrators. However, the students were not deterred by this, and they continued to chant right up until the board of trustees ended their meeting. The trustees left by walking right through the crowd, heads bowed and surrounded by chants from the students.

After this rally, SDS leadership decided that they should still attend the meeting with the chair of investments. 25 minutes before the meeting, administration changed the location from a building at the center of campus to a building half a mile away. The strength of the students' action the previous day is telling. Despite further efforts to bar students from sitting in on this meeting, SDS through sheer force of will made it happen.

This meeting was not approached in good faith by any member of the administration and board of trustees who attended. Students were smirked at, laughed at and interrupted many times. No commitments were made to SDS members, and, after the meeting, it was decided by the students that further escalation on campus was necessary.

On Monday, May 21, the campus saw a disgraceful response from the administration. LU administrators sent out an email detailing their response to these student actions. Among its many outlandish claims was an accusation that SDS and YDSA violated the Disruptive Conduct and Hate Speech Policy. The email also announced a change to the protest policy, which would severely restrict the ability of students to demonstrate. Administration also claimed that the decision to change the protest policy was made with input from the student government, but this lie was exposed mess than an hour later by an email from the president of the student government condemning the changes.

Appleton SDS Co-chair Adam Fleischer described the policy as a “clear illustration of how the administration at this university is out of touch with its students and faculty.” He continued, stating that “telling students at a so-called institution of higher education that they must demonstrate ‘with civility and in conformity’ is an insult to their freedoms and critical thinking skills.”

The following day, on May 22, SDS and YDSA held a rally for divestment and a retraction of the new protest policy. Over 100 students and a dozen faculty gathered. Two police officers also arrived, seeking information from protesters. Lawrence University is a police-free campus, so when students saw the cops, their disgust with administration grew.

SDS member Bailey Nez began her speech in Diné Bizaad, the Navajo language. Later in her speech, she said, “I’m speaking today because I see the genocide in Palestine occurring not as some foreign conflict, as people claim in order to subdue us. I see my cheiis and masanis [grandfather and grandmother] in those faces in Gaza, my sisters and brothers in these children. The same horrific tactics used to try to exterminate my people are being done to the Palestinian people. It is sickening.”

At the end of the rally, Patrick Sweeney, co-chair of SDS, asked the crowd “Who wants to march?” The crowd responded affirmatively and marched right to Hamar House, the contracted residence of President Laurie Carter. As the crowd gathered, Sweeney spoke about the martyrs of Palestine and the resolve of the Palestinians. Then, when speaking to the emotional devastation brought upon parents and children, he said, “I will never forgive anyone who dismisses this, I will never forgive anyone who enables this, I will never forgive anyone who normalizes this, I will never forgive anyone who funds this.” In that passion, students took to staging a die-in inside the back lawn of Hamar House.

As students read the names of thousands of martyrs, it became clear that students did not want to leave. What began as a die-in soon turned into a full-blown occupation, and as students continued to rally and read the names of martyrs, students set up an impromptu encampment. As supplies came in and the message spread that students occupied the president's back lawn, students raised the Palestinian flag on her flagpole.

The next day, head of campus safety and ex-cop Jeff Miller attempted to intimidate students, claiming they were trespassing and would receive punishment; students were undeterred and continued their occupation. Hours later, Miller returned with a message from administration: if students do not leave, the police will be called. After receiving this warning, students remained steadfast in their occupation and put out a call for community support.

As dozens of students and faculty returned to the lawn, students began to chant “We aren’t leaving” and more students joined the occupation. Students remained adamant, sitting down to do their homework, eat lunch and engage in song and chants. Miller would announce threats to students' academic and legal standing several more times, but students continued with a chant of “Are we leaving? No!”

Right before 6 p.m., a member of Lawrence administration, Kenny Yarbrough, entered the encampment and requested to speak with SDS leadership. Yarbrough questioned students on their unwillingness to hear the administration's “promises,” and politely requested that protesters move the encampment to Main Hall Green due to concerns for our “safety.” This was rejected unanimously. The threat of arrests on a police-free campus brought about tremendous efforts from supportive Lawrence Univeersity faculty to negotiate with administration on behalf of their students.

Soon enough, a deal was brokered where students would meet with President Carter and two select cabinet members the next day, under the moderation of five faculty of students’ choosing. Administration agreed to the conditions set out by the students, including that no police would be called on protesters and that each participant in the occupation would receive no academic sanctions. As a result, SDS and YDSA ended their brief encampment.

Stay tuned to Fight Back! for additional coverage of the struggle for divestment from genocide at Lawrence University.

#AppletonWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #YDSA

Milwaukee, WI – On May 12, the 14th day of encampment at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the UW-Milwaukee Popular University for Palestine Coalition reached an agreement with university administration. Students agreed to take down the encampment, known as “Falasteen Lawn,” after hard-fought negotiations and winning one of the strongest agreements in the country.

Student leaders fought hard in negotiations with the university administration, pushing back on bad faith negotiations, lackluster offers, and ultimatums. Through struggle, the students won demands including an official public statement from the university condemning the genocide, an end to study abroad trips to “Israel,” and a meeting with the UWM Foundation which controls university funding.

It is through militant action that the students of UW-Milwaukee forced their administration to make these concessions. Student organizations had been pressuring the university to meet these demands for months, but it only took 14 days for the encampment to force their hand, signifying the success of this action.

As part of the agreement, students were given until Tuesday, May 14 at 8 a.m. to take down the encampment.

On Monday evening, the day before takedown was completed, students, faculty and the community gathered for a feast and celebration of their wins. “We may have taken the tents down, but this will always be Falasteen Lawn. For as long as Palestine is occupied and until Palestine is free, this will remain Falasteen Lawn,” said Patricia Fish of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

Despite taking down the encampment, student organizers emphasized that the fight does not end here. Rather, the struggle continues into a new phase with new targets like the UWM Foundation and UW board of regents. Both entities have direct control of university funds for UW-Milwaukee and the UW system as a whole.

As a part of the agreement reached with the university, five student leaders went into a meeting with the UWM Foundation, which was the only meeting held with students that included absentee Chancellor Mark Mone. The meeting, held on Tuesday, May 14 at 10 a.m., demanded full disclosure of investments made by the university and to divest from all companies that do business with Israel.

Audari Tamayo of SDS said about disclosure and divestment, “If we don’t get that, we’re going to keep going. We never agreed to not set up an encampment. We never agreed to stop protesting.”

The UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition includes Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Muslim Student Association (MSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Un-PAC, and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA).

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #MSA #SJP #YDSA

Milwaukee, WI – May 2 marks the fourth day since students, faculty and community supporters flocked to Mitchell Lawn at UW-Milwaukee on April 29 after a massive rally and march. The end of the march saw the rapid assembly of tents and the official launch of an encampment for Palestine, bringing Milwaukee into the national movement sparked by the actions of heroic students at Columbia University and Cal Poly Humboldt.

The four demands of the newly minted UWM Popular University for Palestine Coalition are: One, disclose all financials and divest immediately; two, cut all ties with weapons manufacturers; three, no future educational partnerships with the occupation; and four, release a statement condemning the actions of the apartheid state.

The action was organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the Muslim Student Association (MSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Un-PAC, and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA). Many community organizations collaborated with these student groups.

“I am here until Palestine is free. I am not only here until UWM complies with our demands, but I’m also here fighting until there is a permanent and immediate ceasefire,” said Ameen Atta, one of the leaders of the UWM MSA. “And after that I will still be here fighting until the siege on Gaza is lifted and after that I will still be here until Palestine is liberated and the occupation is lifted.”

Police on that first day amassed across the street, but the various law enforcement agencies ended up dispersing before nightfall and have not returned in force. A barricade around the camp was constructed all the same, and more than 30 tents stood by the time morning broke on April 30. The UWM Popular University for Palestine has remained steadfast ever since.

Spirits have remained high as a result of the intricate planning of the organizers, with ample resources being donated – including food from local Palestinian-owned restaurants – along with a packed daily schedule of teach-ins on various topics and cultural showcases.

“Morale is high, people are very motivated. I think also it’s the lack of police interaction and just straight community support happening. There’s young and old, Palestinian and non-Palestinian, organizers and non-organizers. It’s just a great time all around. We have a lot of students coming out which is really what we wanted. This is a student-led movement, so it’s going very well I’d say,” said Kayla Patterson, a leader with UWM SDS and member for FRSO. “Every day we're recruiting people throughout the day as classes are going on. It feels good to have the good numbers.”

The university administration, headed by absentee chancellor Mark Mone, received the demands of the coalition and released a statement acknowledging them but essentially announcing they'd meet none of them. The students and their allies have affirmed that the encampment will continue until their demands are met.

“We are here at the encampment because for the past seven months, UWM has done absolutely nothing to assure their Palestinian, their Muslim, their Jewish, their students in general that they care about what’s going on,” said Nada Moubarak, another leading member of UWM SDS. “They want to say, ‘this is so far away,’ but no, this is not far away. It directly affects us and UWM directly has ties, so they need to take accountability for that. That’s why I’m here, so UWM administration can take accountability.”

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #StudentMovement #SDS #MSA #YDSA #FRSO #SJP #Feature

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, April 23 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, student activists set up a Gaza Solidarity encampment. This encampment was organized by the UMN Divest Coalition which is made up of Students for a Democratic Society, Students for Justice in Palestine, Young Democratic Socialists of America and Students for Climate Justice. The coalition is pushing for the University of Minnesota to cut ties financially with Israel. This means to divest from weapon manufacturers, stop study abroad trips to Israel and stop having defense companies doing recruitment on campus.

The coalition set up the encampment and pledged to be there until their demands were met or until they were forcibly removed. Other than divestment, specific demands of the encampment included for the administration to put out a statement about the genocide, to stop the attacks on student protesters, to have complete transparency about university budgets, and amnesty for all students and faculty disciplined in the movement for a free Palestine.

The encampment was shut down by police at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning after only being established for a couple hours. In a powerful act of protest, eight U of MN students and one faculty member refused to leave the encampment and were arrested by University of Minnesota police. UMPD then removed all of the tents and tore down the encampment. The students and faculty were arrested for trespassing on their own university and were given a one year ban from campus.

Unlike what we have seen on other college campuses across the country, the students were not given a notice of suspension before their arrest. Joined by other community activists and students, the arrestees were awaited by a small rally of protesters outside the Hennepin County jail when they were released several hours later.

Mira Altobell-Resendez, the UMN faculty member who was arrested, stated, “We stood our ground knowing the potential consequences and were all willing to take them on for the sake of making strides in winning our demands to get UMN to divest from Israel. We knew we’d have the power of the people behind us no matter what because we are all united to see a free Palestine within our lifetimes!”

Outraged by these bogus arrests and the destruction of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, the UMN divest coalition quickly got to work planning an emergency rally. Later that day at 2 p.m., a protest was held outside the Student Memorial Union. With an upward of 1000 attendees, the protest was well attended by students, faculty and activists from the community. Faculty members and students from the coalition spoke about the power of the student movement and led an excited and energized crowd through pro-Palestine chants such as “Disclose! Divest! We will not stop, we will not rest!”

After the rally, attendees helped the coalition re-establish the encampment. Other organizations brought yurts and tipis and other camping tents to occupy the university lawn. Jewish Voices for Peace led the crowd in an anti-Zionist seder to celebrate Passover on the lawn. Workshops were led by other community members and members of the movement. Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsely and U.S. House Representative Ilhan Omar spoke and shared their support for the student movement on the U of MN campus.

The day was long and busy with arrests at the morning encampment, a contingent at the jail, a large rally on campus and a night filled with pro-Palestine activities on a once again occupied lawn. What the student movement did through hard work and organizing was bring the community together and mobilized hundreds around a campaign that will bring us one step closer to a free Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #StudentMovement #International #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #SDS #UMNDivest #SJP #YDSA #SFCJ #Feature

The ballot question put forward by Students for Justice in Palestine at UMN stating, “Shall the University of Minnesota sever ties with companies complicit in war crimes and human rights violations, war-profiting companies that recruit students on campus, and study abroad programs in Israel?” passed with 75% of votes.

Divest UMN Coalition at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities consists of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Students for a Democratic Society, Young Democratic Socialists of America, and Students for Climate Justice.

During the voting period, some students who signed for the question to be on the ballot came up as unregistered to vote, despite meeting the criteria. This prevented some students from voting. Zionist propaganda truck ads appeared around campus and posters were passed around telling lies like “Hamas beheads babies” and “Hamas rapes women” urging people to vote no on the referendum. The win shows the support of students for the UMN divesting from Israel.

Another ballot referendum passed in 2018 calling for the board of regents to divest from apartheid Israel. This past ballot question faced similar opposition from Zionist forces, showing that the student body earnestly and strongly demands divestment of their tuition dollars from genocide.

The SJP co-president stated, “This is not the end of the road for our fight for Palestine. We will continue fighting until we receive total divestment and complete liberation for the Palestinian people.”

Divest UMN will bring this referendum victory to the board of regents and demand they listen to the voices of the students.

#MinneapolisMN #TwinCitiesMN #MN #StudentMovement #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #DivestUMN #SDS #SJP #YDSA #SCJ #BDS