Montclair State U Drops the Boot on Neck of NJ SJP – Last Minute Cancellation of Fundraiser for Gaza
On March 7th, 2024, the Administration of Montclair State University announced that they had withdrawn approval of our March 8th fundraiser for UNRWA, “Palestine Lives.”
Their reasoning for this cancellation is that a line from our organizastional mission statement calling for the elimination of Zionism “strikes at the very core mission of Montclair State University’s mission and values” for aiming “to rid the campus of any who oppose its views.” This is a blatant mischaracterization of our statement, which does not call for the elimination of any people, but of a racist, hateful, political ideology whose proponents are currently carrying out a genocide — as argued by South Africa before the International Court of Justice.
This last-minute cancellation comes at a time when over 30 thousand Palestinians have been murdered by the fascist and genocidal Israeli occupation, countless more are starving, and the over 2 million people of Gaza have been displaced to refugee camps which are routinely attacked by the Israeli Occupation Forces.
We find it offensive that Montclair State’s administration claims a fundraiser meant to celebrate the perseverance of the Palestinian people goes against their values, and it is laughable that they claim to hold dear the values of diversity and inclusion, when their actions clearly show they do not.
We, the New Jersey Students for Justice in Palestine, condemn in the strongest words the actions taken by Montclair State University and all supposedly “progressive” college administrations which silence Pro-Palestine activism, and we will do everything in our power to oppose their repressive tactics.
We demand the Montclair State University administration retract their statement, apologize for the cancellation, and fully fund a rescheduled “Palestine Lives” on their campus.
🔻Protest today, March 8th, at Montclair State University’s ampitheater at 4 PM. Be there.
From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free🇵🇸
nationalsjp : We condemn the shameful actions of the @montclairstateu administration and their conscious decision to run cover for a genocide. Weaponized bureaucracy and procedures will not halt our movement. All power to @newjerseysjp 🇵🇸🇵🇸
Click picture to connect to organizers .
PROTEST: – click pic to connect with organizers and for details.
🔻EMERGENCY PROTEST TODAY AT 4 PM AT THE @montclairstateu AMPHITHEATER
🇵🇸GUEST PARKING IN RED HAWK DECK. MEET IN THE OPEN AMPHITHEATER ON COLLEGE AVE BY ALEXANDER KASSER THEATRE.
Montclair SJP Statement:
Retweet message to MSU President::
@JonathanKoppell Heed this message – you deliberately misinterpreted – you succumbed to pressure no doubt – and lives that would have been saved from $ raised are now to be lost due to yr repressive action. https://t.co/2opNK3PyeC
— FightBackBetter (@fightbackbettr) March 8, 2024
