Notices by Unicorn Riot (unicornriot@mastodon.social), page 5

NEW || Greece: Students in Solidarity with Gaza – Universities in Ties with Israel 🇬🇷 🇵🇸

https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/greece-students-in-solidarity-with-gaza-universities-in-ties-with-israel/

George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police four years ago tonight.

On May 29, 2024, Unicorn Riot is bringing back our Reporter Reflection series with Episode 4 featuring footage from the frontlines of the fourth day of the uprising in Minneapolis.

Catch up on the first three days of Reporter Reflection films & access UR's coverage related to George Floyd: https://unicornriot.ninja/georgefloyd/

Support our work: https://unicornriot.ninja/donate
Unicorn Riot reports underrepresented stories and sheds light on alternative perspectives and systems. We aim to provide an accessible platform for diverse stories, communities and media makers through free, nonprofit news.

Campus police in this side of the city (Drexel & UPenn) have demarcated “patrol zones” which extend into the city.

Full story: Drexel Students Set Up Palestine Encampment, Call for Divestment From Israel
https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/drexel-students-set-up-palestine-encampment-call-for-divestment-from-israel/
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NEW: Drexel Students Set Up Palestine Encampment, Call for Divestment From Israel
https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/drexel-students-set-up-palestine-encampment-call-for-divestment-from-israel/
Following a rainy Nakba Day commemoration march from Center City that started around 4 p.m.
Philadelphia and Drexel police officers quickly surrounded the encampment.

At Drexel on Saturday night, students and other observers we interviewed discussed everything from Philly’s protest culture and law enforcement practices to the Samidoun Prisoner’s Solidarity Network. Full livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtZ2dIJT0Lo

The night before, nearly 20 demonstrators were arrested just blocks away at the UPenn campus which we also streamed live. https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/upenn-students-arrested-at-palestine-demo-after-building-occupation-attempt/

Our livestream from inside the barricade ring ran for almost 3 1/2 hours until shortly before midnight Saturday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtZ2dIJT0Lo

On Saturday police largely barred people from entering; apparently on orders from Drexel’s campus police chief. There was a brief struggle over the metal barricade components; an officer brandished a Taser at the crowd but was pulled back by another. Video:

https://x.com/UR_Ninja/status/1792004001979859038

Camp supporters regularly handed supplies including stacks of pizza, large tent structures & medic supplies over barricades w/o much interest from police. A Unicorn Riot reporter stuck around until morning as a police sweep seemed possible (UPenn’s camp was cleared this way).

During late Saturday night, police were largely a static presence, dozens of students milled outside the perimeter discussing politics & playing music. A know-your-rights training with Up Against the Law & National Lawyers Guild members also took place w most camp participants.

In interviews on-site students said that they were pushing to get #Drexel to pull its investments from BlackRock, which does business with Israel, as well as other divestments. They also said Drexel administrators have claimed it is illegal to disclose specific investments.

In a tense confrontation at the beginning of the stream, Philly officers in riot gear wearing “Counter-Terrorism Operations” badges briefly assembled inside the perimeter but withdrew.

Plethora of Police Forces in West Philly since 1970s:
After the shocking events at Kent State and Jackson State, in September 1970 President Nixon’s Commission on Campus Unrest, chaired by Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton, dropped its report.
One result was the rise of campus police departments.

Articles by James Bamford in The Nation showed groups like the Israeli-American Council & Canary Mission are closely coordinating w. Israeli government agencies to crush student protests in the U.S. by harassing protesters.
https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/israeli-american-council/
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/canary-mission-israel-covert-operations/

While the encampments might seem like a typical exercise in campus politics it should be noted these activities are regarded as a strategic threat to Israel because they could shift the intellectual climate in the United States, which is Israel’s main international patron.

As the Penn Disorientation Guide outlines, police forces multiplied during the campus crackdowns of the 1970s, until today:
“If you walk west down Market St. from 30th St. Station, in 1.5 miles you pass through the jurisdictions of 6 police departments." https://penndisorientation.com/2023/08/28/a-brief-and-violent-history-of-campus-policing/

Philadelphia: The Gaza solidarity encampment on Drexel University’s Korman Quad has grown significantly since it went up Saturday afternoon:

LIVE NOW: https://youtube.com/watch?v=D2uzyttH6QA
DU Jewish Students in Support of Gaza Solidarity Encampment Claim Misrepresentation by Administration