Community Organization NJ BURN Organizing Protest Against Planned Tel Aviv Satellite Campus In New Brunswick
Anyone who has recently disembarked at the New Brunswick train station likely noticed the large construction project taking place across the street. This project, known as the HELIX Hub, is a collaboration between the New Brunswick Development Corporation and Rutgers University. The HELIX Hub is designed to function as both an innovation and business incubator, as well as the new home for the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The project has sparked controversy due to its partnership with Tel Aviv University (TAU), which is an integral part of the Israeli state’s structure and plays a role in the ongoing occupation.
On December 7th, the group NJ.BURN will hold a protest against the project at the train station. Formed in the summer of 2024, NJ.BURN has organized the protest to present a list of 6 demands:
1. Tel Aviv OUT of New Brunswick!
2. ABOLISH the NJ-Israel commission
3. Fire ALL abusive NJ Transit police officers
4. HOMES FOR ALL!
5. STOP the sweeps at the New Brunswick train station
6. Provide a YOUTH CENTER and programs for kids in New Brunswick
These demands connect the struggles of homeless and poor people in New Brunswick—whose situation is expected to worsen as the Helix Hub brings in more luxury apartments—with the broader fight for Palestinian liberation. This protest marks the first organized by NJ.BURN, which has previously held listening sessions with New Brunswick residents in various neighborhoods, as well as organized speak-outs and coat drives at the train station.
For More information: https://www.instagram.com/nj.burn/p/DCuRHhpxNXA/?img_index=1
