Dispatch from the Belgian student movement
Reflections from the Nuseirat Campus encampment at the University of Liège in Belgium
La version française: Envoi du mouvement étudiant belge
Outcomes and Perspectives from the ULiège Encampment
Comrades from the University of Liège (ULiège) have achieved several important victories, following forty-three days of occupation, ten public events, seven protests, over twenty meetings with the rectorate, and two research documents produced by the movement’s students.
They are already planning for the future of the collective struggle. The victories achieved by the student movement so far include the following:
Academic boycott: the University committed to sever bilateral relations with any Israeli university for as long as Israel does not respect international law.
Divestment: the University agreed to cut all ties with WIZO, a Zionist women’s social organization. ULiège further suspended collaboration with PB Clermont, a Belgian gunpowder supplier which supplied the Israeli military in November 2023. ULiège also suspended funding to Mecar, a Belgian weapons firm which produces white phosphorus, which the Israeli military has been documented using against Lebanese and Gazan civilian targets, in contravention of international protocols.
Pressure: the University committed to put pressure on European institutions to question the presence of Israeli institutions in European projects (e.g., Horizon 2020, Cost), including several multilateral research conventions. Moreover, the University itself will evaluate such conventions within its international relations commission, and may withdraw from them following evaluation of each individual institution.
The Creation of an Ethical Committee as an Official Organ of the University: an international relations commission––which will now evaluate national and international partners of ULiège––has been established, with the long-term integration of two students from the movement as commission members. The ethical committee, as proposed by the movement, is open to all members of the academic community of ULiège. Its role is to investigate University partnerships, to evaluate the work of the commission, and to establish humanitarian solutions to the destruction of Palestinian universities, and for teachers, researchers, and refugees suffering the genocide in Gaza.
All of these victories were achieved thanks to the resilience of and sacrifices made by ULiège students, each of whom contributed to the collective struggle with their own talents and competences. These talents and commitments enabled ULiège students to organize the movement into different workshops, such as communication, research, inter-university relations, encampment management, etc.
Alongside, all decisions were made democratically, following a horizontalist General Assembly organizing model. The democratization of decision-making allowed students to build a common strategy based on informed consent. This included garnering public and internal support inside and outside the University, while keeping pressure on the rectorate – especially when negotiations faced setbacks. A trade-off between these two objectives was continuously discussed inside the movement, leading to an equilibrium. Despite many difficulties, the encampment was a very enriching experience for all: students are already preparing future perspectives of the struggle, and will not stop until Palestine is free.
Life at the Encampment (according to one student comrade)
Participating in the 43-day occupation of the Nuseirat Campus was an intense and inspiring experience. Throughout these 43 days, I had the privilege of meeting incredible people and dedicated activists who I hope to stay connected with for a long time. We proved that activism and collective action do pay off, with committed struggle.
Though we were utterly exhausted, after countless nights spent in the university hallways, evenings of relentless work, and daily protests, our shared purpose gave us the strength to persist. Knowing exactly why we were there fuelled our will and kept us going. Ultimately, we have succeeded. This experience has proved the true power of standing together for a cause we all believe in.
On National and International Student Solidarity
Since the very first week, students of Nuseirat Campus strongly agreed to setting up a working group dedicated to communication with our national and International comrades.
Nationally, mutual solidarity has seen joint statements enhancing Belgian students’ resilience, as well as daily communiqués aimed at the organization of in person meetings and non-violent actions around Belgium. The most recent protest initiated by the University of Antwerp was held in Brussels on 27th June at Place Luxembourg, in front of the Spinelli entrance of the EU Parliament. Locals inside the so-called ‘EU Bubble’ witnessed Belgian universities standing together, united in denouncing the EU Horizon Project, despite the end of the academic year. Since the end of June, we’ve visited some of our comrades at KU Leuven, UC Louvain, and the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels.
Help us document the global student movement for Palestine
Internationally, the push for knowledge exchange and a multifaceted collective effort allows us to focus our lenses in all dimensions linked to the demands which all Universities must adhere to. From International law to cross cultural relations, this coalition continues growing day by day and is currently working on a mutual statement to share publicly and formally with this worldwide student intifada. Moreover, the exchange of knowledge where mainstream media often fails to deliver relevant news, comes to aid especially when dishonest journalism aims at jeopardizing the truth regarding the actual non-violent nature of this global student movement for Palestine.
By student encampment members Abdullah A., Sali S., & Esma Z.
The Students United … Will Never be Defeated!