Palestine Legal: "The Great Difference a Movement Lawyer Can Make"
Oct 24, 2023
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Attorneys from Palestine Legal discuss their mission to protect Palestinian activists from harassment and the power of intersectional liberation movements. They cover topics such as challenging efforts to silence activists, sabotage of Palestinian economic activity, discrimination against Palestinian students, backlash faced by ASA professors, a case of targeted investigation, and the importance of legal expertise and organizing.
Palestine Legal supports Palestinian activists by providing legal assistance and challenging efforts to suppress their rights.
Palestine Legal filed a Title VI complaint against George Washington University for anti-Palestinian racism and discrimination on campus.
Palestine Legal intervened in a case at NYU to protect a student's free speech rights and highlight the political motivation behind the investigation.
Deep dives
Palestine Legal's mission and support for the Palestine Solidarity Movement
Palestine Legal is a legal defense organization that supports the Palestine Solidarity Movement by challenging efforts to suppress activists and promote Palestinian liberation. They provide legal assistance, represent clients, and offer public education programs. Their work primarily focuses on advocating for students and faculty facing repression on college campuses, but they also assist a wide range of individuals, including journalists, teachers, farmers, and more. They highlight the importance of solidarity and cross-movement activism in fighting against oppressive systems.
Title VI complaint against George Washington University
Palestine Legal recently filed a Title VI complaint with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights against George Washington University (GWU) for a pattern of anti-Palestinian racism and discrimination on campus. The complaint addresses various incidents, including the denial of services to Palestinian students, the targeting and obstruction of student organizing efforts by Zionist organizations, and the suppression of Palestinian voices. The complaint aims to hold GWU accountable for its discriminatory actions and ensure the protection of Palestinian students' rights.
Lawsuit against the American Studies Association
Palestine Legal provided an amicus brief in a lawsuit against the American Studies Association (ASA) for adopting an academic boycott resolution in support of Palestinian rights. The lawsuit, filed by anti-Palestine organizations, aimed to discourage public participation and silence advocacy for Palestinian justice. Palestine Legal's amicus brief highlighted that the lawsuit was a strategic attempt to suppress free speech and political expression. Ultimately, the lawsuit was dismissed, upholding the ASA's right to boycott Israeli academic institutions as a protected expression of political views.
NYU graduate student worker's case
Palestine Legal assisted a graduate student worker at NYU who faced an administrative investigation and firing for allegedly vandalizing an Israeli mail services bag. The student had written 'fuck Israel' on the bag as an expression of frustration. The university initially framed the incident as an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic act, but Palestine Legal intervened, asserting the student's free speech rights and highlighting the political motivation behind the investigation. After the university faced pressure and grievances were filed, they dropped the anti-Semitism charge, the vandalism charge had no grounds, and the university offered to rehire the student worker.
Connections to other social justice movements and the importance of solidarity
Palestine Legal emphasizes the interconnected nature of various social justice movements, such as environmental justice, racial justice, queer liberation, and the fight against the prison-industrial complex. They highlight the need for intersectional organizing and solidarity between movements to challenge oppressive systems. By building bonds of solidarity and supporting cross-movement activism, Palestine Legal aims to strengthen the broader movement for justice and create lasting change.
We're sharing this episode of Rhiannon's movement lawyering series with all of our listeners. Our Patreon subscribers heard it first, back in March.
In this episode, Rhiannon talks with Palestine Legal's senior staff attorney Radhika Sainath and staff attorney Dylan Saba about their mission to protect Palestinian activists from harassment, and the power of intersectional liberation movements.
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