By james art On April 29, members of the UCI community launched a camp for Gaza, aptly titled “People’s University.” The camp followed a global solidarity movement, Popular University for Gaza, where both students and faculty demanded that their campuses secede from Israel due to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
The camp’s demands include divesting organizations with Israeli ties, investing that money in programs that would benefit disadvantaged students. The scholars also called on UCI to disclose how it spent grants and donations from the UCI Foundation, to end all ties to Zionist organizations on and off campus, and to release a statement condemning the genocide.
In the end, UCI did not meet any of these requirements and the camp can be seen as ineffective, making all the students’ efforts seem in vain. However, the solidarity cultivated by a shared desire to liberate others from an oppressive regime is enough to keep these protests going, even if they seem futile.
Despite UCI’s crackdown, students fighting for Palestine must continue, even if they don’t see their demands met.
The contentious relationship between Israel and Palestine has existed since the creation of Israel in 1948, built on settler colonialism and the displacement of the Palestinian population that already occupied the land.
Protests against the Israeli occupation have been raging for years, but gained media attention after the attack perpetuated by Hamas, a Palestinian nationalist organization, on October 7, 2023.
Since then, Irvine’s Community of Humanity has hosted weekly protests every Sunday in support of Palestinian liberation. During these protests, a burger shop aptly named Gaza Burger sells hamburgers to raise money for starving civilians affected by the war. The solidarity fostered through unification, while not directly stopping the war in Gaza itself, is a valuable component of resistance. This strong sense of community is one of the many reasons why the students must continue to fight for the cause despite the lack of support from the city of Irvine.
The courage of these grassroots activists to protest for such a noble cause is evident, but the effort draws parallels with the decidedly unsuccessful UCI camp. Just as Irvine City officials refuse to acknowledge the Israeli-led genocide against the Palestinian people, the encampment resulted in nothing but a statement from Chancellor Howard Gilman condemning the actions of the protesters.
So why should you keep protesting if it doesn’t lead to favorable results?
The First Amendment right to peaceful protest has been cemented in our Constitution for some 300 years. Although Gilman closed the camp, the voices of the student intifada were heard.
If the movement was significant enough to be shut down by UCI leadership, it shows that the students are getting their message across. That is why students must keep fighting.
Many historic protests were organized and subsequently shut down. In place of “success” came solidarity. Likewise, the controversial but influential Black Lives Matter movement gained massive traction following the death of George Floyd. Although calls to abolish the police went unheeded, bail funds were created, mutual aid organizations flourished, and racial justice came out of the taboo realm.
The solidarity built by community members fighting for a common cause is both inspiring and igniting hope for change. When individuals come together, their combined efforts can result in someone in Palestine having another meal for another day.
In a city like Irvine, where residents are often seen as robotic and complacent, it’s important for residents to humanize their community. Breaking the artificial city stereotype is a threat to employees, and that’s what needs to be done to get people to listen. Governments win when people are ignorant and complacent, not educated and aware.
Gaza Burger demonstrates the benefits of protest by simultaneously feeding protesters and raising funds for those in need in Palestine. There are basic benefits of protest that people may overlook, other than having their demands met by an institution.
Students for Justice in Palestine at UCI are also organizing a fundraising event, selling a keffiyeh — a traditional Palestinian scarf — to donate to the Middle East Children’s Alliance.
There is power in uniting and organizing for those suffering from a genocidal regime.
The unresponsive nature of the demands may make the future of campus ties to Israeli arms look bleak, but the solidarity fostered by so many different people and students is enough to keep the Palestinian fight going.
Rebecca Do is the Opinions Intern for the fall quarter of 2024. She can be reached at [email protected].
Edited by Zaheera and Jahim Conley.