UNH student-group leading statewide campaign for a free Palestine

Jacob Downey

He/Him

Editor-in-Chief

2/28/24

There is a genocide happening in Palestine. In response to Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, Israel has mobilized for war, killing around 29,000 Palestinians according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Scenes of the devastation have become the norm for any social media doom scroll. There is a public outcry for the occupation to end. In New Hampshire, that outcry is being led by students.

In November of 2023, UNH had no organized Palestinian advocacy on campus. There was fear that throwing your weight behind this issue would have your organization officially disbanded, as has been the case with pro-Palestine movements across the country. The Palestine Solidarity Coalition was founded by a small group of students so potential allies on campus could organize under their umbrella without fear of repression from UNH. 

Through the fall, PSC held weekly rallies with significant turnout. As the weather got colder, their approach moved toward community building and educational events. This semester they have held meetings on a biweekly schedule; one week to prepare signage for protests being held statewide and the next to host a book club of anti-colonial literature, currently reading “Hundred Years’ War on Palestine” by Rashid Khalidi.

The pushback the group has seen is worn as a badge of honor by PSC member Adeena Ahsan with Governor Chris Sununu, UNH College Republicans, and the New Hampshire Journal condemning their protesting. “When you’re pissing off these kinds of people, you know you’re doing something right.” While the group has seen no love from UNH at the administrative level, they have also yet to see any formal condemnation

Off-campus, PSC has worked with the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Southern New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Youth Movement, and Jewish Voices for Peace to push ceasefire resolutions to town councils statewide. 

“Getting a ceasefire resolution passed is not going to stop the US government or stop Israel” Ahsan shared, “But it’s a way to not only organize the community and get a consensus on the issue… set the record straight.” PSC’s believes having local demands for a ceasefire codified will put more pressure on state representatives to affirm that New Hampshire does not wish to fund genocide. Ahsan was cynical on this prospect, noting that both senator Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen received several hundred thousand dollars each from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. So far, PSC has seen success in Durham and is making headway in Manchester.

While the longer term goal is a free Palestine, PSC’s efforts are in the interest of having “our local communities and university to divest from genocide and occupation” before moving on to doing so at the state and ultimately national level. 

Ahsan’s advice for prospective organizers is to just show up, even if it’s just standing on campus with a sign. “As soon as you start doing that, people will come to you.”