E92: Academic Organizing and Palestinian Solidarity (w/ Olivia Wood)

re:verb

On today’s show, Alex is joined by Olivia Wood, a lecturer in the English Department at City College of New York (CCNY) to discuss the recent escalations of force by the NYPD and campus administrators against student protesters in solidarity with Palestine over the past several weeks. In particular, we touch on the flashpoint raids by police - at the behest of campus administrators - at Columbia and CCNY on Tuesday, April 30th, the rhetorical strategies used by student organizers at the encampments to advocate for their causes of disclosure and divestment, and the problematic discourse that mainstream journalists have been circulating when discussing these movements. We conclude by reflecting on the ways that academic worker collectivities (including but not limited to unions) can help show critical support to student demonstrators exercising free speech on campus and advocating for justice in Palestine.

References

Remembering Dr. Refaat Alareer (1979-2023)

The Killing of 6-year-old Hind Rajab

‘This machine bonks fascists’: US student protester’s water jug becomes symbol of resistance

Doctor in Gaza refuses to evacuate, pleads for Israel-Hamas war to stop

Links to some of Olivia’s reporting on academic and student organizing in solidarity with Palestine:

Faculty, Staff, and Students Must Unite Against Repression of the Palestine Movement (4/23/24)

Faculty at University of Texas Austin Strike in Solidarity with Student Protesters (4/25/24)

CUNY Students Occupy Campus in Solidarity with Palestine, Building on the University’s Legacy of Radical Organizing (4/27/24)

CUNY Rank-and-File Workers Stand With the Student Encampment (4/30/24)

An accessible transcript for this episode is available upon request - please send us an email at reverbcontent[at]gmail.com or DM us on Twitter / X