By Maurice Khamis Massú
In the wake of October 7, the Palestinian community in Chile, bound by a deep sense of kinship and shared history, has felt acutely the anguish experienced by our brethren in our homeland. As president of the Palestinian Community of Chile, I have witnessed firsthand our collective response, an embodiment of resilience and action that transcends geographical boundaries.
From the very onset of the crisis, we sprang into action, leveraging every available platform to voice the injustices faced by our people. Through strategic media outreach, we ensured that the Palestinian narrative was accurately represented, countering the often one-sided portrayals in mainstream discourse. We engaged with Chilean political figures to foster a deeper understanding of the Palestinian plight and garner support for our cause.
Simultaneously, we initiated a series of campaigns, both within our community and through our institutional channels, to directly support those affected back home. These initiatives ranged from fundraising drives to educational seminars, all designed to bolster the Palestinian cause and help those in immediate need.
It is noteworthy that Chile became the first country to take diplomatic steps in response to the events in Gaza. The decision to call Israel’s ambassador for consultations and the submission of evidence to the International Criminal Court were significant gestures, signaling Chile’s commitment to international law and human rights and the solidarity of the Chilean people with the Palestinian cause.
As we continue to move forward, our resolve only strengthens. The actions we have taken since October 7 are not merely reactions to a moment in time but are part of a sustained effort to advocate for peace and justice for Palestine. It is through our solidarity, our unwavering commitment to justice, and our shared hope for a peaceful future that we continue to stand with Palestine.
Our remarkable journey since that pivotal day in October is a clear indication of our community’s resilience and the impact of our collective efforts. It underscores a profound commitment to our homeland and an enduring hope for a world where peace and justice are not merely aspirations but realities. As the Palestinian community in Chile, we remain united in our cause, driven by a shared vision for the future of Palestine
Maurice Massu,
I invite you to contribute to a special issue of the Brill journal Protest, edited by Larbi Sadiki.
Special Issue: Palestine Campus Protests
Guest Editor: Prof. Lee Artz, Purdue University-Northwest (Pedagogy Primer Section Editor)
Israel’s war in Gaza has dominated headlines and international politics for over ten months. Debates surrounding the war have not been limited to military, political, and diplomatic circuits, however. University campuses have been among the most visible sites of argumentation and (sometimes) altercation concerning the war. In the United States, in Europe, and in other locales around the world, students have taken to demonstrating against the war itself as well as against university policies pertaining to investments and militarism. Issues of free speech, political symbolism, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, campus safety, police practices, and linkages between the classroom and politics, theory and activism, have abounded. Pro-Palestine protests have drawn the ire of politicians in the US and Israel, as police crackdowns have targeted protestors, sit-ins, and student encampments. Months of university protests have suggested tensions between policymakers’ positions and youth public opinion in countries such as the US and Germany.
This special issue seeks to explore the dynamics of campus protests in light of the Gaza war. It will feature short articles (3,000-5,000 words) by participants and direct observers of such protests from across the world: the US, Europe, as well as ‘global majority’ countries in the global south. Submissions by students as well as university faculty and staff are welcome. These short articles aim to display first-hand observations and impressions of the protests to collectively offer a sampling of commonalities and localized distinctions in protest motivations, participants, and tactics.
Authors will answer such questions as: What demands did protestors make? What slogans were used and what protest paraphernalia were displayed? How did protests organize and mobilize for the protests? What has drawn some students and not others to participate in the protests? What kinds of interactions took place between protestors and university administration? How did protest/counter-protest encounters unfold? To what extent did campus protestors ‘learn’ from other university protests? What are the main features of what may be dubbed a ‘protest pedagogy’ for anti-war activism in the digital age? What comparisons can be drawn between the current wave of protests and earlier movements (e.g. 2003, 1968, etc.)? The articles may include photographs, art work, graffiti, etc.
In bringing together articles engaging such questions, the Special Issue attempts to document and tentatively reflect on an undoubtedly noteworthy protest momentum at the heart of international politics, education, and activism.
The guest editor will:
• Solicit contributions to the SI, either by directly approaching prospective authors or by disseminating a call for submissions
• Write the intro for the SI
• Work with authors in developing their narrative arguments, ensuring appropriate use of evidence
• Do an initial round of peer review for the articles. (The journal editors will oversee the second round of review)
• Work with authors on revising their articles after first round of review as needed
• Oversee submission of articles into Editorial Manager by April 30, 2025
The Special Issue will be published as Volume 5, Issue 2 (September 2025) of Protest.