Colleges and universities have long acted as incubators for social movements, and the movement in solidarity with Palestine is no exception. While repression against students and faculty for support of Palestine is nothing new, the upsurge in mobilization and agitation for Palestinian liberation since last fall has been met with a frenzied response from actors within and outside of university administrations. Students and faculty alike have faced retaliation from university administrators and Zionists within and beyond the student body, ranging from revocation of scholarships to expulsions, firings, and even physical assault. David Palumbo-Liu joins The Real News to discuss the growing repression of pro-Palestine activism and what it means for academic freedom.

David Palumbo-Liu is the Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor and Professor of Comparative Literature at Stanford University. He is the author of several books, including his most recent publication, Speaking Out of Place: Getting Our Political Voices Back. He is also the co-host of the podcast Speaking Out of Place.

Additional links:

• “Campus Crackdowns Have Chilling Effect on Pro-Palestinian Speech”, The New York Times.

Editor's Note: At the 10:43 mark, Mel misspeaks when she notes that tenured faculty often have the backing of a union. To clarify, tenured faculty often have the support of a union, faculty senates, or professional organizations like the AAUP.

Studio Production: Adam Coley
Post-Production: Alina Nehlich

Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer:

Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-pod
Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-pod
Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews