Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken over UT Austin as a focal point to increase awareness, demonstrating to the public that those who stand against the tyrants and fight for the rights of Palestinians are not weak and are working to address the larger problems in our society. Many sit-ins and protests have been held on campus by the university's Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) to draw attention to the ongoing Israeli violence against Palestinians.

Following a sit-in—a form of protest in which members stay at a certain location for an extended period of time—at South Mall on April 24, 2024, 57 demonstrators were taken into custody. After this occurrence, on April 29, 2024, five days after the initial protest, 79 more people were arrested as a result of a protest against imprisonment exercising the first amendment right to freedom of speech and expression. This generated an extensive amount of discussion and inquiry about the infringement of free speech and the university's responsibility to control protests.

The university also responded by suspending the PSC, which sparked a national outcry from activists and students. An uprising was sparked by the further mistreatment of Pro-Palestinian university students and the significant police involvement during protest and sit-ins, not to mention the amount of arrests being made. These incidents were not only seen in Austin, but nationally as well. Pro-Palestinian activists worldwide have faced extremely severe penalties for voicing their opinions and exercising their first amendment rights.

One of them is Ameer Qaddumi a UT student studying economics and a lead PSC member involved in organizing, leading, and supporting the Pro-Palestinian movement in the Austin area. We met with him to discuss his opinions on the situation as a whole and the interview is below.

Praeco: Can you briefly discuss and describe your situation, within the Palestine Solidarity committee at UT over the past year or so and how it's affected you?

Ameer Qaddumi: Yeah, I am a senior at UT majoring in Economics and Government. I'm a member of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, which is a student organization at UT that organizes events to promote awareness of the Palestinian cause, both on and off campus. I serve on a leadership board with several other members, and together we equally coordinate the different events of the organization. Over the last year, being involved in PSC has meant taking the opportunity we have as students to use our platform and our voices to promote the cause for Palestinians, many of whom do not have voices, or who are denied a voice. As students in this country, I believe we have that responsibility, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to utilize it.

Praeco: You said there were specific events that you all coordinated, could you elaborate on those?

Ameer Qaddumi: We organize a wide variety of events. They range from educational events that cover the history of the Palestinian struggle—from before 1948 until the present day—and also on topics related to it, like the recent events within that history. We'll have cultural events highlighting Palestinian culture, through poetry, through music, through art. We'll also have joint events with other student orgs to highlight the parallels in our causes—like with the Native American indigenous collective. And then, of course, we'll do direct actions such as protests, as well as petitions and email campaigns against our university administrators and local representatives to demand accountability and an end to their support of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Praeco: How many years have you been working within the Palestine Solidarity committee?

Ameer Qaddumi: I became a leader within PSC last year. Prior to that, I was a member. But you don't need to be a leader within PSC to make an impact. As a member, I would still go to all the PSC events and do everything I could to help with the initiatives, because it takes all of us to promote the cause.

Praeco: What motivates you to support the Palestinian cause?

Ameer Qaddumi: I myself am Palestinian, my family has a lot of struggles with the Israeli occupation, and seeing the endless horrors and atrocities that Israel commits against Palestinians has driven me to speak out against it. It's just something that cannot exist in our world, these crimes cannot be allowed, and our institutions cannot profit off the suffering of my people. I take it as a personal responsibility to be involved in this movement.

Praeco: After all that's been going on, do you believe that protesting and raising awareness have had an impact in Austin about the Palestinian cause, and if so, how?

Ameer Qaddumi: The Palestinian movement takes all of us, so the part we play in Austin is just part of a greater whole. It's been critical that we've been doing stuff in Austin, and that other chapters of SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine) and other Palestinian organizations have been doing stuff in other cities - it's all been very important. In Austin, we became particularly prominent last April, and we're honored to take up that role in PSC, however the organizing done in every city is just as influential.

Praeco: How do you perceive the University of Texas's response to the Palestine Solidarity Committee, and what impact do you think their approach has had on campus dialogue?

Ameer Qaddumi: UT's response—their whole approach with PSC over the past year—has been one of indifference at best and suppression at worst. There were multiple instances where the Palestinian student community was endangered, and the university did nothing. They've created a very hostile environment for pro-Palestinian speech. But rather than shirk away, we've actually stepped up, because we have a responsibility to ensure that speech continues to be promoted, despite the attempted suppression.

Praeco: Do you believe the University of Texas should have the authority to regulate or ban protests?

Ameer Qaddumi: No, I don't think the university has the right to intervene and suppress the kind of activity where students are advocating for an end to a genocide. The University has a responsibility to protect its students and their rights. Especially a university like UT that claims "What starts here changes the world," they're not living up to that with their Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students need.

Praeco: How do you see the advocacy and activism influencing the situation in Palestine, and if so, how do you think it's had an effect?

Ameer Qaddumi: I think the events of the past year and a half have led to a real realization that people here will rise up and pressure our leaders. It makes it a more pressing issue that our leaders can't shy away from. Whereas before, someone could claim ignorance about Palestine, that excuse no longer exists. The world has seen the sadistic and monstrous nature of the Israeli Zionist regime. That sense of humanity will eventually permeate to the top levels of leadership, and we're already seeing representatives like Rashida Tlaib taking this to the government. The activism will inspire that shift.

Praeco: What are your ultimate goals for this movement, and what changes do you hope to see as a result of your activism?

Ameer Qaddumi: The ultimate goal is to pressure our institutions—our companies and governments—into ending their complicity in the occupation, because the occupation cannot persist without the unwavering support of the US and weapons manufacturing companies. Our more local goal is to get US companies and the government to stop sending money and weapons to arm Israel, which perpetuates the suffering of Palestinians.

Praeco: How has this situation and everything that's been going on over the past year or so affected you personally as a UT student?

Ameer Qaddumi: This has really opened my eyes and the eyes of many of my peers to the power and responsibility we have as students. We're not powerless—when we come together and discover our collective power and voices, we can push for the change we want to see. The university may try to make us feel powerless, but we have to recognize our agency and act on it. That's how we can drive the change we want, not just for Palestine, but in general.