The act of protest is one of risk. The university’s justification for sweeping the encampment on the basis of being disruptive overlooks the fact that the disruption was intentional. On May 2 — the night that police forcibly destroyed the encampment — 210 arrested individuals were given a chance to walk away, but didn’t. They chose to remain because this act of resistance is the greatest power they have as students and civilians to affect this cause.
The Hard Choice
Being my authentic self was never the hard choice; it never was a choice at all. It was just me.
Hometown Troubles
Chino Hills, California is known for its outdoor shopping malls, its competitive secondary schools, and the fact that NBA basketball players the Ball brothers once lived on its green and always-clean streets. In more recent years, my hometown has also become known for the discriminatory legislation and public prejudice of its ultraconservative school board council.
Why Palestine?: Interviews with Pro-Palestine Students at UCLA
Over the last nine months, UCLA students have mobilized en masse to protest the Israeli apartheid, occupation, and genocide in Palestine. Pro-Palestine protestors have organized rallies, teach-ins, and three Palestine Solidarity Encampments as of this article’s publication date.
During this critical moment in the fight for Palestinian liberation, I hope to record pro-Palestine UCLA students’ experiences and motivations. I compiled statements from five pro-Palestine students, including myself, who have attended pro-Palestine political actions over the past school year.
