June marked the beginning of British summertime. Starting this month, the weather would be sunnier and warmer compared to the earlier wet winter months. The good weather always encourages people to spend more time doing outdoor activities. As a former student at the University of Manchester, I know Brunswick Park has always been known to be quite a popular and picturesque picnic spot every summer. It is also usually around this time that you will notice graduands having portraits of themselves taken to mark the end of their studies at the park with the campus’ main archway. However, this summer was unusual as this lush green space was not scattered with picnic-goers and families. Instead, the ground was populated with dozens of tents, and each camp housed a handful of students and homeless people, forming a united and peaceful community to protest against the war in the Gaza Strip.
Student encampments taking over the university's ground
As the war between Hamas and Israel intensified, university students across the world were setting up encampments in solidarity with Palestinians’ resistance against Israel and demanding an end to their university’s complicities. The movement of student encampments was set off by American college students, and it has soon blossomed in many universities across Britain including Manchester, which started on 1st May this year and is known as The Manchester Camp of Resistance for Palestine. As you might be wondering what the reasons for the protest at the University of Manchester are, the demands include ending the university’s partnership with an arms manufacturer known as BAE Systems, ending ties with Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, adopting a policy that all research is ethical and does not contribute towards arms trade, and refraining from taking disciplinary actions against students.
Upon stepping into the vicinity of the park, more than thirty colourful tents decorated with the flag of Palestine could be found on the ground on both sides, and several marquees were set up along the main avenue linking the A34 to Oxford Road. Whiteboards entailing the demonstrators' demands were found hanging and displaying in front of a marquee, which functioned as a basepoint to serve the protesting community that occupied the park. I read the notice boards and realized that the movement was very organized. A list of supplies for the campers to be donated by the general public was written on a whiteboard and was split into four categories of priorities. Among the supplies included sleeping bags, blankets, food and many more. As I peeked into the marquees, a couple of volunteers sat behind tables, answering questions and concerns from a small group of visitors about the protest. Camping chairs and foldable plastic tables were placed in front of the reception, and food supplies and cooking utensils were arranged on them, ready to be borrowed by the campers. There were also volunteers providing complimentary haircut services for the protestors, creating quite a rather unusual sight at the park that I usually knew.
Volunteers providing free haircut service for campers
A feature of this student encampment that was unmissable was the many banners that were seen hanging around the protest area. They were either hung between light poles, on the directory board of the park, or at the campus building. Some of the banners read: “UoM blood on your hands”, “Free Palestine”, and “This institution funds genocide.” The Brunswick Park and the Whitworth Hall were also renamed as “Dr Adnan Al-Bursh Park” and “Walid Daqqa Hall” in honour of the sacrifices of the Palestinian prisoners and martyrs. As I wandered around the encampment area, lists of names of the Palestinian victims, due to the result of the war were written on papers that were taped to trees and directory boards. It created a resonance and a strong emotive impact on visitors including myself. Despite not knowing any names written, they were human lives eventually, who could be a family member of someone else. It was numbing and heart-wrenching to see how many lives have passed because of the war.
Banners and name list of victims were displayed
I remembered coming across a TikTok video that showed how students broke into Whitworth Hall and hung a large banner, which detailed the three main demands pledged by the protestors to the university authorities to fulfil. The pro-Palestinian protestors barricaded the building, forcing the venue to be shut down for the upcoming exams that were planned to be held. This was not the first time that students had shown their resistance against the repression from the university. Over 50 university students occupied the Simon Building earlier this year in March to show their support for Palestine, and a rent strike took place at the same building last year to express their discontentment with the rising cost of living and rents for student halls. However, the university did not receive the encampment or the occupation positively as they referred to them as “deliberately disrupting”. The police forces were often mobilised to crack down on student protests and bring disciplinary actions against students. For instance, this year the university suspended a student over allegations for their protest against the institution by taking part in the occupation of the Simon Building in March.
I view demonstrations like this as a good method to voice out public opinions on an issue of national interest and congregate a mass of like-minded people to form a social movement for change and the betterment of our societies. While I disapprove of violent resistance and forceful occupation of premises, I am delighted to see young people in our generation express their concern on worldwide ongoing issues such as the war in the Gaza Strip. Youth rallies have proven to work many times in history. For example, the resistance against the Vietnam War cultivated a powerful social movement in America during the 60s. Maybe something more relatable to us Malaysians is the Bersih rallies that were held around a decade ago to reform the electoral system in Malaysia. However, as our authorities continue to suppress youth activism like banning student branches of political parties that were decided last year, it stifles the political involvement of young people, which will result in a depoliticised and apathetic public. Seeing Manchester’s university community come together and build a movement to call out the university’s complicities, I learned that Malaysian societies should give more support and create a safe and fair space for our local youth movements.
By,
Ronin Lim,
Journalist 23/24
Do you feel safe voicing your opinions and joining a peaceful protest in Malaysia?
Yes, I feel protected and respected!
No, our society should create a safer space for youth.
Comments