Palestine solidarity occupation protest at Bowdoin College

 

Students came and went just outside the student union where more than 40 were camping inside in protest of Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine) administration's refusal to divest from weapons corporations that have been arming Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people.

Protest occupation camp inside the student union began on Thursday early evening. Bowdoin College admin is threatening the students if they don't stop the movement.

Yesterday Bowdoin students began this peaceful occupation inside the student union virtually at the same time that the wealthy elite college Board of Trustees began holding one of their meetings. The students and the trustees have been in conflict for the past year over the issue of divestment from the weapons corporations that the college funds have been invested in.

The student newspaper reported:

The encampment also comes nearly a year after Bowdoin students voted in favor of the SJP-organized Bowdoin Solidarity Referendum, a resolution demanding that the College take an institutional stand against the scholasticide and stop future investments in defense-focused funds. At the beginning of the fall semester, the College established its Ad Hoc Committee on Investments and Responsibility in response to the referendum but has yet to alter its investment practices or offer an institutional statement.

I joined the protest for about four hours on Friday. The students standing outside in the cold chanted, danced, and shared food, drinks and warm coverings with those inside throughout the day. I learned that Bowdoin turned off the heat in the middle of the night inside the student union building. They also put three security guards at the door pictured below but the students on the outside got the door opened and about 25 more students rushed in to join those inside.

At one point I tried to enter the building but the chief of security buried his pointer finger in my chest and threatened me with arrest. I told him to remove his finger which he reluctantly did. Later in the afternoon while he was away from the door (which the students kept open) I did enter and cheered those inside.  As I returned to the outside the chief saw me and began scolding the one guard who had looked the other way when I slipped inside.

I talked with many students about their feelings about the event. Most were very supportive as were several faculty that also joined the protest. Two young men who spoke to me for a long time were ambivalent about it but seemed to appreciate our conversation.

Adult activists from as far away as Belfast and Portland also came to stand outside. Several key leaders of the very effective statewide group called Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights were there as well to give support and spread the word.

 

An online page was set up so folks could send a message to Bowdoin Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Jim Hoppe in support of the student movement. You can find it here and please send a solidarity message no matter where you live.

 

On Saturday at 11:00 am a rally is being organized by the students and they are urging support from around the state. Please join this important event if you possibly can. It is so important that Bowdoin students, faculty and administration sees that there is strong support across Maine.

 

One student told me that Trump's meeting with Natanyahu where he 'announced' that the US would own Gaza and rebuild it was a primary trigger for this occupation protest.

 

Bruce