4 Lessons From the Palestine Solidarity Student Encampments

The United States is in the midst of a generational uprising in higher education. The Palestine solidarity encampments and associated academic divestment campaigns are a powerful expression of the drastic transformations taking place in American society. Students around the world are challenging the attempts of state, military and financial interests to reduce politics to an armwrestling match between forces of coercion and mechanical destruction; the campaign of genocidal mass murder led by Israeli forces in Gaza is an acute manifestation of this global order.

The encampments are a bold response from below by students who are relying on their knowledge, audacity and literal physical bodies. Naturally, they face a number of challenges, obstacles and issues which ought to be addressed in the pursuit of strengthening the movement in the face of repression from authorities, university administrations and counter-protester thuggery.