On Oct. 17, New Mexico State University’s Students for Justice in Palestine convened for their inaugural meeting. SJP is part of a broader national organization, the National SJP movement. The group aims to support over 350 Palestine solidarity organizations and build a lasting social awareness movement on American college campuses.
Dylan Davis is the president of the SJP chapter at NMSU. She said the grassroots for SJP stemmed from students protesting the ongoing bombardment in the Gaza Strip.
Last semester, NMSU students took part in a Palestinian solidarity encampment in the Aggie Forest, just outside of the Corbett Center Student Union.
Encampments started becoming more visible across the country last spring and Davis said she and many other students at NMSU were inspired by the SJP chapter at Columbia University, which led the first encampment movement. She also said that these protests and initiatives led her to meet other like-minded individuals, which ultimately led to the creation of the SJP chapter at NMSU.
“This movement has driven us to establish a space here where we can advocate for justice and solidarity with Palestine on campus and also just in Las Cruces,” Davis said.
Davis said the chapter has not received any backlash from outside the organization thus far.
Davis did also mention however that because of last semester’s intense protests, she and other students experienced backlash from faculty and students. She said the backlash was at its strongest during the encampment period.
“The university came to our encampment and persuaded us…they threatened us to take down the encampment,” Davis said. “They led us to believe that we were going to be having ongoing discussions and that they were going to be listening to our demands and educating themselves and doing research and providing information about the investments, and they did absolutely none of those things. It was all just a lie to get us to take down the encampment.”
Davis emphasized that the backlash she and other students received only strengthened their commitment to expressing solidarity with Palestine. She added that the organization’s commitment to advocating for justice and freedom of expression on the NMSU campus has not stopped.
Trent Scribner, an SJP officer and NMSU student said the majority of the events planned are aimed to educate students about Palestine. Recently, Las Cruces for Palestine organized a Teach-In at NMSU in September. Scribner said the chapter plans to continue with the teach-ins amongst other initiatives.
Davis said their outreach will not stop with the NMSU student body. She added community outreach is just as important as campus outreach. The organization meets with governmental officials to raise more awareness.
“We meet with local representatives. We attend the city council meetings. We even meet with state representatives, [to raise awareness]” she said.
While the chapter has yet to receive any backlash, she said the group is prepared for it and that historically speaking, some of the biggest social justice movements have started on college campuses.
“Resistance is to be expected with any movement, and we are prepared to remain steadfast and determined in our advocacy for the Palestinian people,” Davis said. “It is really important that we as students keep in mind the power that we hold.”
Scribner hopes SJP raises awareness for the Palestinian cause through educating other students. He also hopes with organizing solidarity events, more people will understand the importance of mobilizing with SJP and supporting their initiatives.
While pushback has been relatively quiet, the organization said they have received quiet support. But some still have fears.
A student at NMSU, who asked to remain anonymous said, “I am really happy that they opened this chapter, but I am afraid to join them at their meetings. I heard a lot of students faced doxing threats, so yeah I am just really afraid,” the student said. “But I am happy they have the courage to open it [the chapter].”
