Beyond Struggle: Palestinian Liberation at UMN

Students nationwide join forces to fight for liberation

By Ava Kian

“Beyond Struggle: From Roots to Branches Towards Liberation,” the 9th annual national Students for Justice in Palestine conference, took place at the University of Minnesota from November 1–3. This annual conference has served as a place for students to attend skill-building and political development workshops, develop relationships with intersectional organizers, and learn about the intersections of the SJP movement with other social justice efforts.

This year, the event faced severe backlash as pro-Israel group StandWithUs demanded the University condemn the conference. On Friday evening, protesters stood outside of Tate Hall, attempting to engage and photograph attendees. 

Despite this, the event itself was uplifting and thought-provoking. Students gathered for “Culture Night,” where different cultures shined through a multitude of art forms: a native group performed, displaying solidarity with Palestinians, while poetry readings and rap performances artfully articulated complex emotions through prose. Palestinian creativity flourished with artists from around the nation selling their artwork, photographs, and emblems of Palestinian nationalism, like the keffiyeh scarf. 

The next morning, workshops continued with a diverse range of topics. Led by an international studies major at Louisiana State University, the workshop titled “Commodifying Catastrophe: Recognizing Exploitative Entrepenural Practice in Organizing Spaces” discussed the moral obligation, transparency, and accessibility within Palestinian entrepreneurship that will uplift Palestinians rather than de-politicize the movement. They further explained: “We want to provoke dialogue on whether self-identifying Palestinian entrepreneurs have a responsibility to their consumers, how they can engage in their businesses in a more ethical and more responsible way.”

The conference concluded with a panel featuring three activists, who stressed the importance of intersectionality, as one speaker said, “We are doing this because it means we are more human, and when we are more fully in our humanity, we are engaging with the totality of what we’re up against.” Another panelist further explained, “Jewish people’s liberation goes hand in hand with the freeing of Palestinians,” explaining movements succeed when they make strides together. The conference tied together marginalized communities, constructed avenues for allyship, and strengthened the Palestinian liberation movement.