North American Students Voice Growing Concerns Over the War in Palestine in the Wake of Trump’s Presidency

 North American Students Voice Growing Concerns Over the War in Palestine in the Wake of Trump’s Presidency

“The fight for liberation requires perseverance, but we can’t afford to lose hope,” said Sara Sunderji, a student at UBC, reflecting on the ongoing war in Palestine.

This sentiment is shared by students in universities across Canada and the U.S. who are striving for peace in the region. Earlier this year, student-led protests across North American universities gained significant media attention, with 3,000+ protests during the spring semester and 950+ protests during the fall, according to The New York Times. At UBC, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), a non-profit student-run organization advocating for Palestinian human rights on a social justice platform, organized a large-scale campus protest in November. Hundreds of protesters participated, mostly students. Sarah Sunderji, a fourth-year Philosophy student who is a member of UBC SPHR, is concerned that Trump's presidency will worsen the situation due to U.S. military support for Israel. She said: “The way I view it is that with Biden and Trump the same thing would happen. I just think under Trump it will be much more worse because he's just a lot more of an impulsive person.”

Muhammad Maaz Adil, a student at Bennington College in Vermont, U.S.A. also pointed to larger systemic issues in U.S. policy. According to him, the underlying support for Israel remains consistent as the U.S. has always prioritized its strategic alliances over justice for Palestinian human rights. He said: “Regardless of whoever comes into power, the whole system, no matter who is the president at the end of the day, the policies are forwarded by the establishment and there will always be support for Israel.”

Student protest at UBC during November 2024

The impact of Donald Trump returning to office has intensified feelings of uncertainty among these students, particularly due to his rhetoric about prohibiting student protests on campuses. Esha Shah, a PhD student in Political Science at Syracuse University in New York, expressed concerns about Trump’s impulsive nature potentially exacerbating the issues around campus. “What’s happening now is already unmanageable under a Democratic presidency. With Trump, things could escalate even faster,” she said.

Earlier this year, during his election rallies, Trump promised that he would fight against the ‘radical revolution’ on campuses and threatened to deport international students who aren’t U.S. citizens and cut federal funding for campuses that don’t curb such protests. He said: “Colleges will and must end the antisemitic propaganda, or they will lose their accreditation and federal support,” according to Reuters. “As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave,” he reportedly said about international students who engage in campus protests, according to The Washington Post.

Students in the U.S. fear for their safety under such rhetoric from Trump, but they also recognize the importance of educational institutions as spaces for change, liberation, and holding governments accountable. "Universities need to divest from corporations profiting off the occupation and provide platforms for marginalized voices," said Adil, praising grassroots efforts on his campus while acknowledging the challenges the next president could bring.

Shah shared her experience attending protests and joining group chats organized by the pro-Palestinian coalition at Syracuse University. She sees divestment campaigns as an important step for institutions. “Universities must confront their complicity in funding campaigns tied to occupation and apartheid,” she said. “The moral imperative is clear.” However, she also fears a Trump administration will not allow for such protests by students.

In Canada, Sunderji, a UBC student, also talked about transparency and accessibility within pro-Palestinian groups, arguing that many students want to get involved but lack clear pathways. “UBC’s administration could do more by making these groups more accessible and addressing security concerns for activists … Calls for justice will only grow louder,” she said.