EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION [ACTION NEEDED]❗
Our community is stronger than ever, we have and we will keep us safe. Please carefully read through the entirety of this message.
As many of you may already know, Columbia University administrators have been sending out threatening emails in order to intimidate student groups and student group leaders. CUAD will be distributing a response to their claims about our “Resistance 101” teach-in this week, but we wanted to reach out to our supporters, and especially to CUAD members and student group leaders first.
If your organization or members of your organization’s executive board have received an email about last week’s “Resistance 101” teach-in and the “All Out for Al-Shifa” event happening tomorrow, 4/4, at 4:30 PM at the Sundial, remember that we keep us safe! We realize that the language of this email seems very formal and intimidating, but this is a fear tactic that Columbia administrators have been using all year to suppress those of us involved in the student movement for Palestine. We do not recommend responding to the email, as it does not seem disciplinary in nature -- there are no specific charges or follow up action items listed.
If you, as a student group member, have received a personal email about a follow-up conversation, immediately contact cuapartheidivest@gmail.com with your name, signal number, and affiliated group. Do not respond to the University's email. Do not communicate any sensitive information over email. We will connect you with CUAD’s legal team and numerous other students who have received this email in order to support each other and build community in light of Columbia’s repression. CUAD members will also help you draft an email response and connect you to faculty supporters.
The timing of this email is no mistake. Minouche Shafik and leaders of the Board of Trustees will be testifying at a congressional hearing in front of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on April 17th. Columbia administrators and the Board of Trustees are trying to frighten us and our organizations into remaining silent. They are attempting to crack down on pro-Palestine events in advance of the April 17th congressional hearing and are panicked because our voices have remained steadfast and loud in the face of their increased surveillance and weaponization of the NYPD. We must not let them divide us.
At the same time, standing strong in the face of repression does not come without risks, and CUAD wants to be honest about these risks so that everyone interested in attending can make an informed decision. The “All Out for Al-Shifa” rally will still be happening tomorrow, April 4th, at 4:30pm at the Sundial. The Student Workers of Columbia are organizing this event and have a federally protected right to protest as a labor union, but Columbia University is alleging that this is an unauthorized student protest and will likely threaten attendees with disciplinary action under CSSI’s demonstration policy (just as attendees have been threatened before at other “unauthorized protests”) under the unjust Interim Demonstration Policy. Student groups may also be threatened with disciplinary action through student governing boards. However, if this year of organizing and working together to fight for a Free Palestine has taught us anything, it’s that this is the time to be loud. This is the time to show up with your organization and your friends to take back the university. Please consider your risk factors (visa status, current disciplinary standing, etc.) and positionality when deciding to come, but remember we need you now more than ever to show your unconditional solidarity with Palestine. There is power in numbers, there is safety in numbers and it is time to utilize that.
We encourage everyone who attends the “All Out for Al-Shifa” rally to bring friends, members of your student organization, keffiyehs, and noisemakers! We also encourage everyone to take the safety precautions listed below:
Wear all black (or dark), nondescript clothing and shoes; cover up any tattoos and piercings. Consider adding a keffiyeh to your wardrobe!
Mask up! COVID-19 is still a risk and we want to protect our community! Masking also allows your face to be covered and protected from surveillance. Covering your head is also a good idea. Leave CCTV range before unmasking.
Do not swipe your CUID if possible, especially in the hour before or after the rally—if you are able, try going to campus early to avoid swiping, especially since they may close the gates. Swipe records are the primary method of positive identification. After leaving, exit CCTV range (all of campus) before swiping into a building, preferably at least an hour later.
Disperse in groups! Walk up to Harlem and grab a coffee with friends or take a stroll in a park to unwind and debrief.
Avoid using your phone on Columbia WI-FI while at this event or any others. Use encrypted messaging apps. Avoid sharing important information through your Columbia email.
Listen to the guidance of security marshals — they are ready to step up and help you and those at the event.
If you are asked to identify yourself, bear in mind that it is a violation of Columbia’s Rules of Conduct to refuse to present your CUID to a Public Safety Officer. However, if you are able to de-escalate the situation and leave without giving them your identity, do so with caution. If you are asked to identify yourself by someone who cannot identify themself as a university official or seems suspicious, do not identify yourself.
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student worker who does any kind of research or teaching labor, sign an SWC union card here! SWC has been utilizing their grievance process in the event that SWC members are retaliated against for attending pro-Palestine actions. Being a union member offers workers many protections, so take advantage of that and support your local union!
Again, we want to stress that attending this event is significantly less risky for those who are less visible in the movement on campus. Assess your individual risk factors, but don’t let administrators profiting from a genocide scare us into silence. We must show up for each other, especially in these difficult moments— not just for us, but for the 30,000+ martyrs. We hope to see you all tomorrow at 4:30PM at the Sundial, and encourage you and members of your organization to reach out if CUAD can support you in any way at cuapartheidivest@gmail.com or by Instagram DM @cuapartheiddivest. We keep us safe.