Universities brought home imperial violence by repressing pro-Palestine movement, says prof

Editor’s note: This is a report-back from a panel titled “Voices of Change: The Power and Impact of Student Activism,” which took place September 27 at the University of New Brunswick’s Fredericton campus. One of the speakers, Nathan Kalman-Lamb, is a member for the NB Media Co-op’s editorial collective.

There are parallels between the student protests at Columbia University in 1968 and the encampment movement that swept campuses over the past year in response Israel’s impunity and its horrific genocidal military campaigns.

“When universities stray from their ethical mission to nurture, develop and enrich, it is students above all who hold universities accountable,” said UNB sociology professor Nathan Kalman-Lamb, as he opened the “Voices of Change” panel.

“The impetus of the current protests is rightly on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where at least 41,431 Palestinians have been killed and 95,818 injured since October 7, 2023.”

Student demands have centred around disclosure of university investments in Israeli companies and weapons manufacturers as per the principles of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) movement. Kalman-Lamb said that universities with such investments are complicit in Israel’s crimes and are transforming student tuition into “blood money.”

He cited Northwestern University journalism professor and social justice chair Steven Thrasher’s experience visiting four encampments in the U.S., as well as UCLA history professor Robin Kelley’s article on the encampment at his own university. Both found the encampments to be diverse, welcoming, non-violent and dynamic pedagogical spaces.

Subsequently, Thrasher was assaulted by police, called a “goon” by a Republican lawmaker during a congressional hearing, criminally charged (the misdemeanor charge was eventually dropped), and suspended by the university.

Some universities responded by defusing radical demands for divestment by offering moderate concessions. “Some encampments accepted these concessions and disbanded,” Kalman-Lamb said. “In many cases, university administrators chose to respond with violence.”

He pointed to examples at Columbia, NYU, the University of Texas-Austin and the University of Alberta, where violent police interventions took place. “UCLA was particularly bad, where the encampment was assaulted with racial and homophobic slurs, bear spray and other chemical agents during a night of harrowing violence, which police allowed to occur before stepping in, only to arrest 200 of the students from the encampment,” he said.

“One crucial effect of this repression was to bring the imperial violence waged by Israel to people here,” Kalman-Lamb said. He added that the message of student protests has also reached people in Gaza, who have shared messages of gratitude in videos and pictures online.

Kalman-Lamb noted that, in the determination to refuse divestment at all costs, several institutions implemented harsh rules against protest. “Policies against not only tents, but also activities like the use of chalk and tabling have been prohibited in an attempt to stifle student resistance. At Columbia, the word ‘Zionist’ in now being formally treated as a slur,” he said.

Kalman-Lamb concluded by expressing gratitude to students. “Without the inspiring efforts of students, I would have lost all faith in the neoliberal university… the performance of educational civility in the face of another genocide is barbaric,” he said, borrowing from a quote by Theodor Adorno on Auschwitz.

Mutual aid

The second panelist was Aaron Beaumont, an artist whose work focuses on queer and trans identity, disability, religion, grief, and community. Beaumont is also the co-founder of QT Fatties, a grassroots collective by and for 2SLGBTQ+ fat folks in New Brunswick. Beaumont centred their personal experience in student engagement as a community organizer.

Their engagement started in high school in a rural community, where they were one of two openly trans students. “I was organizing for my very survival,” they quipped. Their first action at university involved walking out of class and delivering a letter to the then-president of St. Thomas University, asking to divest from the Wet’suwet’en pipeline in solidarity with Indigenous resistance.

Beaumont remembers being taught that online activism was “slacktivism” and pointed out that “for some folks… it’s performative” but “online activism can be just as valid and, for disabled folks… that is how they can show solidarity.”

Beaumont, who uses the pseudonym “Steel Transplants,” shared a zine they created on community care and mutual aid. They encouraged the audience to reflect on barriers in mutual aid practice and on mutual aid already present in the community, and to learn more. A barrier they faced initially was a lack of understanding of the broad scope of mutual aid and the impostor syndrome of “I don’t know how to offer mutual aid,” or not knowing if what they were offering was valuable. “Many of us already practice community care and mutual aid before we realize what it is,” they reflected.

Beaumont suggests starting small, being open to feedback and learning from mistakes. “Our capacities and practices will look different… connecting to community takes time, effort and commitment,” they said. They added that community care needs to value people doing the small things and be conscious of burnout.

“Mutual aid is not about pity or selfish action. It isn’t charity, rather it involves radical acts outside of the capitalist system that encourages us to suffer and survive alone,” Beaumont said. They also emphasized the need for consistent and sustainable support for everyone. “Mutual aid does not have to be done only in a crisis.”

In their own journey, Beaumont noted privileges that allow them to invest in mutual aid – cutting off abusive relationships, financial stability, building community, and creating art for themselves and the community.

“My mutual aid practices include sharing mental health and community building resources, creating and sharing art for myself and community, donating to BIPOC care, offering and accepting food, medicine, and a safe space… planning and sharing community actions and events that are COVID-safe, accessible and free,” they said.

In their conclusion, Beaumont invited audience members to reflect on what they need from the community and what they can offer. “What do my privileges allow me to access and how can I offer that to others?” they asked. They encouraged audience members to expand their circle of solidarity and to “show up for yourself and for the community.”

Aggressive admins

One student present at the talk commented that student protest tactics were more aggressive during the movement against the American war in Vietnam. On the other hand, the response from university administrations has been more heavy-handed during the current peaceful encampment movement.

Kalman-Lamb pointed to the increased militarization of police and neoliberalism in education. “Students are in a precarious financial position and have more to lose,” he said. “The power differential largely favors the university.”

He added that universities, particularly in North America, “are basically large investment portfolios that also happen to offer a degree [and] the administrators will do anything to protect their investments.”

An audience member asked if there could be a mutual aid version of education. Beaumont said that schools need to be responsive to community needs like food, shelter, and child care.

Kalman-Lamb added that educators can share their knowledge through podcasts, YouTube, and social media. An audience member pointed out that this cannot be a replacement for universities and that “ultimately, we need free and accessible education for everyone.”

This panel series is being organized by the UNB Student Organizing Collective. The next panel in the series will be on “Decolonizing Gender: Women and Queer People in Social Movements” on October 24 at 2 p.m., Tilley Hall room 104 at UNB Fredericton, with speakers including Sophie M. Lavoie, Cheryl Watts, and June Patterson. Learn about future event by following the SOC on Facebook and Instagram: @socunb.

Nomaan X is an organizer with the Saint John Community Coalition and Fredericton Palestine Solidarity, and a teacher on the side.