I’m a professor who got fired and arrested for protesting Israel’s Gaza war | Close Up

move get out the way we know your Israeli train we know your Israeli train n you will see will be free Palestine will be free why do they have helicopters why do they have drones why do they have the National Guard threat we're a bunch of Geeks I believe we win I believe we win yooo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo out him out him out out somebody get the medical water here water let go the camera I got it I got it I got I got it I got it I got it stop the camera stop the hold on hold on I've been a professor at the City University of New York since 2007 but I was fired last month because of my online post against the genocide in Gaza free free free [Applause] palestin River and I cry watching TV I was crying during her speech crying isn't enough are we ready to all get [Applause] arrested will not rest isest we will not stop we will not rest this closed dest we will not stop we will this battle has never had anything to do with religion it's a struggle against colonialism Judaism is a historic religion and spiritual way of life Zionism is the complete negation of Palestinian nationhood existence and life you are ordered to leave the roadway and utilize the available sidewalk if you do so voluntarily no charges will be placed against you you in to sidew the crimes they commit are not Jewish going to the Jewish Torah all these crimes are illegalism is a genocidal disease you will be placed under arrest totally they try to label us the terrorist we're not the terrorist what are our crime teror if you remain in the roadway and refuse to utilize the sidewalk you will be placed under arrest and charge with totally [Music] uh I became passionate about Palestine uh because my mother had put different books in my hands about Palestinian resistance when I was a young [Music] teenage my um father really wasn't there it was always me and my mom uh against the worlds when you come up with all types of trauma being the underdog in this Society coming from poverty uh boxing was a way to reel it back in to stay focused when I say that boxing saved my life it's not an exaggeration on hyperbole if I don't have Outlets you know I start to go crazy cuz we see the children under the rubble we see every hospital in Gaza destroyed we see a complete lack of respect for Palestinians as if they weren't human beings let me breathe up with my mind St on freom hu tonight's the big night we're expecting the NYPD raid uh the Cy authorities have said that they want us uh off of City College campus let the students teach the students it's really the the youth it's the students who are leading us and that's our main role to support these students and in defense of academic freedom and their first amendment rights honestly it's been scary being here you know the threat of the police the threat of losing my education but this is all worth it for Liberation for all people for Palestine it is right to Rebel it is right to Rebel NYPD go go to hell to H when the police come in to brutalize and arrest the students and rip down the encampments you know that that's the moment for us professors to be there students hold your ground your ground NYPD back down NPD back down NYPD KKK IDF you're all the same you're all the same the sun is there any way out of out of here entr down there so we're uh surrounded by NYPD Riot police on all sides the professors of cuni we want to be the first line of defense for our brave uh students were making these sacrifices father father father father father in any second the police could be invading oh the C are coming now this is the New York City Police Department you have been warned as per City College to leave the campus if you refuse to leave wait w w w that toally understand what I'm saying you guys got to [Applause] leave there he comes Hees [Applause] what number arrest was last night for me in my life yeah um if I were to tell you all the different times I was arrested we'd be here for a long time [Music] I'm getting get did you take your medication so even the jail experience was very Collective it wasn't about us and our minor inconvenience compared to what the Palestinian people have been going through the whole time we're chanting guysa guysa guysa we didn't have our hands so we're all just stamping and stamping guysa and no matter what we wouldn't stop and um I don't think the police had ever seen that level of unity and in organization your accomplishments are very proud of you no matter how hard they attack us discredit us dehumanize us arrest us break our bones bomb our our our people across the Middle East and Palestine we have a historical responsibility we hope that this student Le movement continues to inspire people across the world to stand up as the famous Chinese proverb says it only takes a spark to start a prairie fire NPD back

Channel: Al Jazeera English

Views: 263,140

Keywords: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English, Israel's war on Gaza, United States, al Jazeera, al jazeera English, al jazeera live, al jazeera video, aljazeera English, aljazeera latest, aljazeera live, aljazeera live news, gaza, latest news, news headlines, protests

Id: cYdBDl8zxTs

Length: 8min 56sec (536 seconds)

Published: Fri May 17 2024