On May 1, 2024, 89 individuals at a pro-Palestinian protest were arrested on the Green. The protest, which began as a ‘Labor for Liberation rally’ in support of Palestinian liberation, was organized by multiple activist groups, including the student-run Palestine Solidarity Coalition.
One year later, The Dartmouth sat down with PSC member Paul Yang ’25 to discuss the Coalition, his memories of May 1 and College President Sian Leah Beilock’s approach to free expression on campus.
Tell me about the period leading up to the May 1 protest and PSC’s approach to organizing.
PY: One term before, I was one of the hunger strikers who were calling for divestment from Israeli apartheid. We had our own trajectory of pressuring the school into achieving divestment, but it was very stuck in a lot of bureaucratic processes. Then there was a big wave of protests across the country and we thought that as a coalition we should participate. The encampment happened and we did not expect the administration to call the cops so quickly. There were riot cops and they showed up to the Green and said ‘everyone on the Green will be arrested for trespassing’ if they don’t leave. They started arresting students one by one.
During the protest itself, what was the feeling among protesters on the Green?
PY: The most dominant feeling was shock at how quickly the administration resorted to calling the police without any kind of communication or interaction with the students themselves. They resorted to calling not only the police but state troops. It felt really ridiculous being a student on this campus. I’m a senior so I have been at this school for four years.
Just for expressing our political perspective, we were pushed off the Green, and some were arrested by force. And Beilock was nowhere to be seen. She was not communicating at all with the students. We were very frustrated. We were very angry and very shocked.
May 1 marks the one year since the protest and arrests. From your observations, how are students who protested feeling about this anniversary?
PY: Based on the people I have interacted with, people are very frustrated with how, even though all of these things have happened, the College did not take any tangible steps towards divestment. There has been no progress surrounding that process. May 1 happened, and we have processed that by ourselves and we know what the administration is willing to do when there is political dissent, but what really matters is what’s going on in Palestine and how the institution is complicit in that. We need to just keep pushing for divestment and not get stuck with what happened a year ago.
How do you feel about how the Beilock administration has moved forward from May 1?
PY: The Beilock administration has been really unresponsive. Especially with the election of the new president, with the new administration, there have been a lot of authentic concerns over student safety and student security relating to protests.
I went to a DSG meeting, and Beilock was attending the meeting. I spoke to her in person and asked ‘Are you willing to commit, instead of just saying these vague words about protecting students. Are you willing to commit to any kind of specific policy or statement or position in order to actually ensure student safety?’ She refused to commit to anything.
There is a lot of concern about student safety and freedom of expression. One of the biggest concerns is that Beilock and the administration are completely avoiding taking responsibility or having some sort of definite position regarding students’ freedom of speech and protecting student rights. The administration should commit to an actual tangible position on how they will stand up for student rights, against deportation, against Immigration Customs Enforcement raids, against the arrests of students. I think that’s what a college should do and especially what a college president should do.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
