Washington, DC – NIAC was one among over 180 organizations in a letter today calling on U.S. universities to end the crackdown on campus protests and encampments demanding an end to the war in Gaza.
These students, who are exercising their right to protest peacefully amid an atmosphere of pressure, intimidation, and even physical retaliation, have organized encampments across the country to make clear that they want an end to the war, a safe environment for Palestinians on their respective campuses and their universities to divest from corporations that profit from Israel’s occupation and siege on Gaza.
However, in response to their organizing and demands, several universities have chosen to deploy police – and even threaten to send for the National Guard – to disband the encampments, resulting in brutal physical exchanges as well as the reported arrest of more than 900 students.
At a critical moment after nearly seven months of indiscriminate bombardment in Gaza, it is imperative that we amplify the arduous yet impactful work that university students are leading, ensure their safety, and join them in continuing to press for a permanent ceasefire.
Signers of the letter include Arab American Institute, Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow Movement, MPower Change, Movement for Black Lives, U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and more.
The letter has been reported by The Huffington Post, Semafor, The Hill and Al Jazeera.
Read the full letter, included below:
Statement in solidarity with student protests for Gaza
We, the undersigned organizations, stand in solidarity with the students nationwide and globally who are bravely protesting in encampments and otherwise to condemn Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza–actions which human rights organizations, a federal U.S. court, and the International Court of Justice have said “plausibly” constitute genocide.
We commend the students who are exercising their right to protest peacefully despite an overwhelming atmosphere of pressure, intimidation and retaliation, to raise awareness about Israel’s assault on Gaza – with U.S. weapons and funding. These students have come forth with clear demands that their universities divest from corporations profiting from Israeli occupation, and demanding safe environments for Palestinians across their campuses. The students’ courage and determination in the face of adversity inspire us all to take action and speak out against injustice wherever it occurs. As they risk everything right now, it is critical that all of us do everything we can to support them.
We join them in calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and an end to the U.S. government’s and institutions’ role in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
As we stand in solidarity with the students protesting in encampments across the country, we reaffirm our commitment to amplifying their voices, condemn the university administration officials’ violent response to their activism, and demand that universities remove the presence of police and other militarized forces from their campuses.
In solidarity,
350.org US
18 Million Rising
198 methods
Adalah Justice Project
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
AF3IRM
Afghans For A Better Tomorrow
Al-Haq
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Churches USA
American Baptist Churches Palestine Israel Network
American Friends Service Committee
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Muslim Bar Association
American Muslim Community Foundation
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
Arab American Civic Council
Arab American Institute
Asian American Advocacy Fund
Better to Speak
Beyt Tikkun: A Synagogue without Walls
Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)
Blue Future
Borderlands for Equity
Borderlands Resource Initiative
Breach Collective
Brooklyn For Peace
CAIR Action
CAIR California
CAIR Minnesota
CAIR Oklahoma
CAIR-WA
California Coalition for Women Prisoners
Cameroon American Council
Carceral Tech Resistance Network
Ceasefire Democrats
Ceasefire Now NJ
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Popular Democracy Action
Center for Protest Law & Litigation @ Partnership for Civil Justice Fund
Chicago Area Peace Action
Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy
Christians for a Free Palestine
Civic Ark
Civil Liberties Defense Center
Clockshop
CommonDefense.us
Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP)
Council on American-Islamic Relations
CWA-News Guild Local 38010
Defending Rights & Dissent
Delaware Democratic Socialists of America
Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights
Detention Watch Network
Disciples Palestine Israel Network
Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM)
Doctors Against Genocide
Dream Defenders
Dutch Scholars for Palestine
Eindhoven Students 4 Palestine
Emgage Action
En Conjunto
Episcopal Peace Fellowship-Palestine Israel Network
Faith for Black Lives
Faith in Texas
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fight for the Future
For All
Freedom Farm Community
Freedom Oklahoma
Freedom To Thrive
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
Future Coalition
Gen-Z for Change
Gender Justice Action and Gender Justice
Get Free
Global Campaign to Reclaim People's Sovereignty, Dismantle Corporate Power & Stop
Impunity
Green Mountain Solidarity With Palestine
Green New Deal Network
Greenpeace USA
Hawai'i for Palestine
Health Justice Commons
Helena (Montana) Service for Peace and Justice
Highlander Research and Education Center
Hindus for Human Rights
Historians for Peace and Democracy
Human Dignity Project (THDP)
IfNotNow Movement
IfNotNow New Jersey
Immigrant Defense Project
Immigrant Justice Network
Immigrants Act Now
Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC)
Indiana Center for Middle East Peace
Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project
Interfaith Ceasefire
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
International Mayan League
InterReligious Task Force on Central America
Iowans For Palestine
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Islamophobia Studies Center
Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Jewish Voice for Peace
Jewish Voice for Peace-Hawai’i
Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)
Just Foreign Policy
Justice Democrats
Just Futures Law
Justice for All
Kairos USA
Libyan American Alliance
LittleSis / Public Accountability Initiative
Living Water Inclusive Catholic Community
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Make the Road Nevada
Malaya Georgia
Massachusetts Peace Action
Mennonite Action
Mennonite Action WA
Migrant Roots Media
Minnesota Peace Project
Mondoweiss
Movement for Black Lives
MPower Change Action Fund
MSA West
Muslim Advocates
Muslim Community Network
Muslim Counterpublics Lab
Muslim Power Building Project
Muslims for Just Futures
Muslims for Progressive Values
National Arab American Women’s Association (NAAWA)
National Iranian American Council
National Lawyers Guild
National Lawyers Guild – St. Louis Chapter
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)
National Partnership for New Americans
New Hampshire Veterans for Peace
New York City Veterans For Peace
The New Justice Project Minnesota
NH Peace Action
North American Students of Cooperation
No Separate Justice
North Carolina Peace Action
The Oakland Institute
Office of Peace, Justice, and Ecological Integrity/Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Our Revolution
Palestine American League
Palestine Legal
Palestinian American Community Center
Palestinian American Organizations Network (PAON)
Palestinian Feminist Collective
Partners for Palestine
Pax Christi New Jersey
Pax Christi New York State
Pax Christi Pacific Northwest
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
Peace Action New York State
Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!
Pediatricians for Palestine
People’s Action
PeoplesHub
Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies
Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
Project ANAR
Project South
Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice
Reparation Education Project
Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment
Rise for Palestine
Rising Majority
Rising Tide North America
Rochester Committee on Latin America
RootsAction Education Fund
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre
Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Sound Vision
Starr King School for the Ministry
Students and Faculty for Justice in Palestine at the University of Hawai’i (SFJP)
Sunrise Movement
Sur Legal Collaborative
TakeAction Minnesota
Tech Justice Law Project
The Gathering for Justice
The Hague Peace Projects
The Social Justice Center
The Uncommitted National Movement
The Whatcom Peace and Justice Center
Transnational Institute
UndocuBlack Network
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Larger Fellowship
Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice
Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina
Unitarian Universalist Mass Action
Unitarian Universalist Peace Ministry Network
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Unitarian Universalist Young Adults for Climate Justice (UUYACJ)
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East
United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network
United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
United Voices for America
Until Freedom
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Veterans For Peace
We Are All America
Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club
Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center
Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press
Working Families Party
World BEYOND War
Young Democrats of America Black Caucus
Young Democrats of America Environmental Caucus
Youth Leadership Institute
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