Palestina-activists speak up again

After a quiet summer, Pro-Palestine protestors are speaking up again. Yesterday at 12:30, a group of students with banners and keffiyehs (the Palestinian scarf) gathered around the location of the former Pro-Palestine encampment. It is the first time this academic year that the students take action: “We have not left!”. The atmosphere is pleasant, but the stakes are clear: today they walk by the executive board (CvB) to demand that they cut all ties with Israel.

Today, the protestors of action group Nijmegen for Palestine are with approximately sixty people. While making noise and chanting phrases, they move towards the Berchmanianum, the building in which the CvB has its office. One person steps up and holds a speech. He tells the protestors to not give up: ‘I would like to say to you, after this break, to not become numb. But,’ he adds decisively, ‘let your activism be fueled by love, not hate.’ During the speech, someone hands out chalk to draw on the building.

The activists do not have a different strategy this academic year. ‘We would love for the executive board to say “Oh yes, of course we will cut the ties”, but alas’, says Kayleigh Hofstede, member of Nijmegen for Palestine. This protest is mostly a statement: ‘Look, if we did not stand here, people would not know that we still exist’, Hofstede shares. The protest is therefore a ‘we’re still here’. It is not clear when another protest will take place.

Notable is that there is very little security present at the protest. There is only one security guard on a bike that keeps an eye on the protest from a distance. Earlier this month, activists were followed by security to their meeting, but today the university appears to not expect any trouble. The protest indeed remains peaceful and without any problems. It is unclear when the next protest will be, but this will definitely not be the last time that the activists speak up.