Izzy Writes

By: Izzy Canizares

Encampments have been sprouting all over the country and on the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, Florida International University students joined the roster by creating their first “Liberated Zone,” occupying University lawns despite a growing police presence and heat advisories throughout the week. Universities nationwide have been condemning these demonstrations, but the South Florida community has welcomed them with open arms.

The liberated zone was announced over Instagram, with @SJPATFIU (Students for Justice in Palestine) posting a video of the zone and a following post listing their demands as students, including “divesting from all companies and partnerships which actively participate in the colonization and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.” 

“Our goal is to show FIU that we’re not going to stop, we’re not going to back down,” says SJP media lesion Nourah Janbali. “We are putting more pressure on the school to divest because they do invest a lot into Israel.”

Student activists say demands made to FIU President Kenneth Jessel have been ignored. Jessel sent a mass email to students on March 22nd, and while not mentioning Palestine, wrote that he “condemn[s] conduct that fuels, promotes, or supports hate.” He has not publicly commented on these student demonstrations since. 

“We have had a couple of meetings with Jessel letting him know our demands, and he has not responded to them,” says Janbali. “He’s avoided dealing with it at all.”

Students gathered at Graham Center lawns surrounded by banners and flags, marking their territory. Activities inside the encampment have been nonviolent, with teach-ins from local activists, food being distributed, and more.

This demonstration does not mark the first pro-Palestine display on the FIU campus. Student activists have been hosting regular protests since last Fall, their most recent being a walkout on April 21st, during which they repeatedly asked for FIU to divest in companies associated with Israel.

“Students pay a lot of money in tuition, and we do not want it to go somewhere we don’t agree with,” says Janbali. 

Community members came out throughout the week to offer support, supplies, and food to the students, many of whom are activists. 

“The support from the community has also been very outstanding. So many people have reached out,” says Abeer Varghouthr, a liberated zone organizer. “Community members, alumni, students, faculty, they’ve reached out and asked what you need from us. We’re here to support you financially and physically.” 

Peter Seidman, an organizer for the Cuban caravan against the blockade, is highly passionate about Palestinian liberation. 

“Zionism was not the dream of the Jewish people ever,” says Seidman, being a Jewish man himself. “Only until the 1940s, after Hitler, after Stalin betrayed the hopes of many Jews around the world, some people, in desperation, turned to Zionism for the first time and said we need to be in Israel as a state.”

Seidman has been an activist for the Palestinian movement since the 1967 Israeli war, participating in different movements since then, such as the Vietnam War. From his perspective, he applauds the student organizers, “I’m so inspired by this new generation of students. For a beginning, I think this is astounding.”

By no means does this mean that there are pro-Israeli students at FIU. Multiple groups, such as Students Who Support Israel (SSI) and Hillel, have staged numerous counter-protests and events, defending Israel and the IDF, inviting some soldiers on campus for events as well.

At a Student Government meeting in February, students who supported the Israel state spoke against the Ceasefire Now! resolution, a piece of legislation that failed to pass the SGA committee.

“There absolutely should be a conversation about the suffering of the Palestinian people, but it cannot come at the cost of invalidating and minimizing the atrocities committed against the Jewish people,” says student Harlan Ridkind. Another pro-Israel student, Danyel Yurkovitch, spoke as well, stating, “YDSA and other groups constantly praise and love anti-Zionist Jews, but then discriminate against us Zionist Jews who simply believe in Israel’s right to exist.”

On Friday, more students and community members gathered for a Jum’ah prayer led by Mufti Sultan, the Iman of the Islamic Foundation of South Florida. Prayers started at 2 p.m., followed by a teach-in.

Friday was also the FIUs law commencement ceremony, and recent Palestinian graduate Mohannud Mohammed made sure to stop by the Liberated zone to take photos with his family, with what he says is a fantastic example of community.

“It makes me feel happy. I was talking to the commencement speaker because I’m 30, but most of these people look super young,” says Mohammed. “It gives me hope that the future generation can stand up and do this because I know there were no Palestine protests when I was in college.”

During Friday’s ceremony, commencement speaker Justin Coffie publicly asked FIU to divest from Israeli companies they are partnered with, saying, “I believe it is incumbent upon FIU to stand up and divest from these corporations, aligning our actions and demonstrating our commitment to global citizenship.”

After his call for divestment, his mic cut off, so he was forced to end his speech early, with the commencement continuing.

Students continued to show up throughout the weekend despite the scorching outside temperatures, which felt around 100 degrees. While the trees provided shade, FIU police twice denied students from putting up canopies. This was a new University rule prohibiting any tent structures to be up until July 15th. 

Organizers prepare to continue showing up on campus, at least for the next week. While students know the risk of being academically reprimanded or arrested, they are not backing down. 

“Everything comes with the risk, but the reward is far greater than the risk,” says Varghouthr. “What we are experiencing here, the consequences we are suffering here will never be anything compared to the devastation over there.”