Dima Khalidi: Lawfare, Free Speech & Student Power | Sumud Podcast

🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we are joined by Dima Khalidi, founder and director of Palestine Legal, a US-based organization dedicated solely to defending the rights of people who speak out for Palestinian freedom.

Carrying her family’s long legacy of resistance into the present, Dima has spent decades on the legal front lines, protecting students, educators, and activists from repression. In this conversation, she explains how law is both weaponized against movements and reclaimed through organizing, offering a sharp look into the fight for free speech, student power, and justice in the US and beyond.

From historic cases like the Holy Land Foundation Five to recent victories against university crackdowns, Dima shows how lawfare, surveillance, and repression work—and how the movement continues to resist, organize, and win.

🔑 In this episode, we explore:

➡ The Khalidi family legacy and roots in Palestinian history

➡ Lessons from political prosecutions like the Holy Land Five

➡ Lawfare, anti-terror laws, and the Palestine exception to free speech

➡ Student courage, campus crackdowns, and legal victories

➡ Advice for young organizers and the importance of solidarity

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

01:59 – Family Legacy and Roots of Resistance

08:37 – Early Cases That Shaped a Lifetime of Advocacy

16:21 – Political Prosecutions & the Holy Land Five

19:27 – Lawfare and the Founding of Palestine Legal

27:24 – Student Repression and Free Speech Battles

36:06 – Recent Legal Victories and their Impact

40:55 – Advice for Students, Staff, and Teachers

48:52 – Final Reflection: Inspiring the Next Generation

🎥 Full episode: https://sumudpod.com

🌐 Learn more: https://palestinelegal.org/

📲 Follow: @palestinelegal

📲 Follow: @dredhasan

#Palestine #FreePalestine #SumudPod #PalestineLegal #StudentPower #Lawfare #FreeSpeech #Decolonize #Justice

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