UCL_BDS_Movement

🔊Post-UK visit. On the very day Israel resumed its carpet bombing of Gaza, resulting in 400 deaths—including 200 children—I was profoundly moved to witness a powerful gathering of young people at the @UCL conference, bravely defending freedom of speech against pro-genocide forces attempting to cancel the event. These students stood in such stark contrast to some UCL academics, who had tried to organize a parallel event to the student-led one (sic!), to debate "whether settlements are conducive to peace" [Let's be clear: suggesting that war crimes—this is what settlements are—can be framed as 'conducive to peace' undermines the integrity of academic discourse and is unworthy of an academic degree.] My few words that evening were insufficient to honor the depth of what so many people are enduring. Under different circumstances, I would have been honored to take the megaphone and speak to them, as they were asking. I would have seized the opportunity to express how much love and inspiration I draw from their courage, because it takes courage to oppose a genocide that is enabled by the most powerful governments in this world; and to urge them, wherever they go, to continue standing tall against injustice—for themselves, as solidarity fosters shared humanity; for those in power, as there are critical issues that both government and academia must hear and address; and, last but not least, for the people of Palestine, who, through global protests, know they are SEEN and not abandoned by the whole world. Peace is every step, for real.