In Bologna pro-Gaza tents at the University. “Solidarity with US students”. And Zaki arrives on Wednesday

The Palestinian youth camp in front of the entrance to the Rectorate in the wake of the protests on American campuses

BOLOGNA – “Full solidarity and complicity with the American students, who were harshly repressed by the US police forces in all the campuses where they camped, which qualifies Western governments, the American government and its institutions in their full complicity in the crimes of Zionism and the crimes of genocide” underway in Gaza. Speaking is the university collective of the Young Palestinians of Bologna, who in the wake of what happened in the American universities (complete with ‘scenic’ evictions exhibited by the police) staged an ‘acampada’ of about twenty tents right in front of the rectorate of the Alma mater, in Piazza Scaravilli, to “immediately ask for an end to the genocide in the Gaza Strip and to send a strong message to our academic and governmental institutions which for months now, despite our repeated protests, they continue to fully support Israel and its crimes within the Gaza Strip.”

THE STUDENT MOBILIZATION PRO-PALESTINE

A mobilization that the collective has been carrying out for months, following Israel’s military action after the attacks of 7 October claimed by Hamas, and which led to a meeting with the rector Giovanni Molari on 24 April to ask the University’s stop to projects developed with Israeli universities or with companies linked to the war industry.
“We have been carrying out this mobilization for the academic boycott for months– recalls Ettore, spokesperson for the Youth Palestinians – we are approaching the date of May 21st, when an academic Senate will be held where we will bring our motion to rescind the agreements between the University of Bologna and the Israeli universities and companies in the death supply chain , like Leonardo, who supply millions of euros in armaments to the IDF and the State of Israel, and who are therefore complicit in Zionist crimes with our governance”.

A SQUARE “OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS”. AND ZAKI ARRIVES ON WEDNESDAY

Now in the meantime the occupation of the square, which the activists imagine as an “open square” and invite students to join them, “to participate in large numbers, to bring their tents, to join this camp.” Some initiatives will take place in the next few days, including meetings with some teachers from the Alma mater and connections with deans from other universities. The human rights activist Patrick Zaki will also be present at the rally on Wednesday at 1pm. “The very evolution of this mobilization will also tell us how long it will last. However, we are confident because we are here to talk about Palestine and we are here to analyze the history of the Palestinian question and its future, that is, its liberation. Because Palestine, we are convinced, will be free“, concludes Ettore.