New York City: Students defend pro-Palestine encampments

Chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) jointly organized a demonstration in New York City on April 24 on the one-year anniversary of university encampments in the U.S. in support of Palestine.

Protesters rallied at Washington Square Park and then marched to New York University (NYU), Cooper Union and The New School demanding that the universities halt their support of Israel and the repression of students speaking out in support of Palestinians. They issued a list of demands: 

(1) Divest from genocide. 

(2) Deny Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), New York Police Department (NYPD) Israel Occupation Force (IOF) access to students.  

(3) Protect international students. 

(4) Resist state repression of Palestine. 

(5) Abolish trustee dictatorships.

Led by the Cooper Union SJP, The New School SJP and NYU SJP, the action also focused on the fight to stop the Trump administration’s ongoing arrests, particularly the revocation of visas and arrests of international students and the universities’ attacks on pro-Palestinian groups by imposing rules to prevent protests.

Sara Flounders of Workers World Party told the rally to hold on to the demand to divest from genocide, explaining: “It exposes them as enablers. It exposes their role as collaborators. Don’t let it go. Protect the international students and the migrants being rounded up.” 

Flounders linked the U.S. government’s support of Israel and kidnapping of student resisters to its bombing in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria and threats against Iran. The crowd cheered and clapped in response, chanting, “U.S. imperialism, number one terrorist!”