Inspired by movements happening in universities around the world, students at Wits University have taken over a designated area on campus, calling it “The Wits Liberated Zone”. This action is a response to the conflict in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine, with students also advocating for economic and academic boycotts of Israel.
By The Telegram
Students, faculty, and graduates of Wits University established a Palestinian Protest Encampment and Liberated Zone on the grounds adjacent to the Great Hall at the Braamfontein Campus.
In a powerful display of solidarity with the Palestinian people, students at the university have named the protest camp “The Wits Liberated Zone”.
Inspired by similar movements in the United States and around the world, these students are calling for economic and academic boycotts of Israel in response to the Gaza war and the occupation of Palestinian land.
“We do this in solidarity with like-minded individuals all over the world – ordinary people who have become extraordinary because the situation in Gaza and on the occupied West Bank commands us to. We will not stand by while the Apartheid regime of Israel, aided and abetted by the West, slaughters the people of Palestine in a malevolent and sanctioned act of genocide.
“Equally, we will not allow our beloved institution to be co-opted and exploited by Israel, or to benefit Israel in any way. We also acknowledge inequalities caused by our own legacy of apartheid and acknowledge the connection between many of our own students’ struggles and those of Palestinian students.”
On Tuesday, May 7th, the Wits University Palestine Action Committee (WUPAC) and the Wits Palestine Solidarity Committee (Wits PSC) gathered at The Great Hall to deliver a letter to Wits Management. This important event was supported by various internal Wits bodies and concerned individuals from the university community.
The demands outlined in the letter addressed to the university administration are as follows:
●Full disclosure and access to information with regards to Wits investments and collaborations with Apartheid Israel-aligned institutions and companies
●Taking a public position in solidarity with Palestine
●The adoption of a Boycott Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS) position regarding procurement, investments, and collaborations
●A sincere reflection on the meaning of what academic freedom means concerning Israel, and
●An end to the silencing of pro-Palestinian activists, statements, and activities on campus.
●We stand with all marginalised, oppressed peoples of the world. We call on Wits to make clear the ways it is choosing to divest in oppressive regimes across the world.
Posters are prominently displayed around the camp underscoring the importance of a peaceful and non-violent approach, urging participants to refrain from damaging any property. Students at the camp stress that it is a space for all students, regardless of background, to come together in solidarity against issues of capitalism and colonialism, extending support beyond just the Palestinian cause to include areas such as Sudan, Congo, and Haiti.
The Wits Senate is expected to hold a crucial meeting before the week is over to discuss the university’s stance on relations with Israel and the Palestinian cause. Students have vowed to maintain their camp occupation until their demands are acknowledged and addressed.