Campus Occupation Support Toolkit

Support Students Demonstrating for Palestine

A man in Rafah, Gaza, writes a message of thanks to student protesters in the US on April 27, 2024. AFP/Getty Images

Introduction

Students across the United States and the world have launched campus occupations in support of the people of Palestine, and in opposition to Israel’s ongoing, US-backed genocide.

This momentous wave of protest has been met with fierce backlash from state governments, college and university leaders, and local police departments. Mennonite Action has signed an open letter alongside 184 other organizations in support of these student demonstrations, and in opposition to the violent crackdowns suppressing students’ rights to demonstrate.  

Mennonite Action calls on its members to support these student demonstrations. We stand in solidarity with the students peacefully protesting on campuses across the country—and around the world. We support the brave young people putting their careers and bodies on the line in opposition to the ongoing genocide. And we support their calls for all universities to divest from companies that profit from Israel's attacks on Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank.

We are members of a broad coalition for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestine that spans geography, religion, ideology, and more.

We may encounter messages or styles of protesting that we do not feel completely aligned with or uncomfortable with. We choose to step into this tension rather than standing on the sidelines. You can reach out for support on the Mennonite Action Slack, in our Community Collaboration spaces, or by emailing Mennonite Action coordinators at info@mennoniteaction.org.

We seek to do our part to contribute materially and effectively to this student movement. In asking ourselves how best to support them, we ground ourselves in our movement principles: Peace, Power, Public Action, Prayer and Liberation. Use this toolkit and our principles to find ways to support your local campus occupation.

Resources

How to Support

Step 1: Make a connection

Reach out to your local campus occupation and attempt to make a connection with students to ask what kind of support they’d like to receive. You may have local allied groups who have already made those connections. If so, reach out to them and ask if they know of the best ways to support.

If not, or in addition to that, you can simply visit the occupation and talk to students. Ask them if there are ways to support them. You could offer a few suggestions such as:

• Offering to provide snacks, water, or a meal
• Offering to hold a faith-based event on campus, such as a hymn sing or prayer vigil
• Offering to show up publicly in support of students if there is an attempt to evict the occupation
• Offer other forms of material support: sunscreen, garbage collection, tents, tables, toilet paper or other needs
• Offer money for jail support

Step 2: Make your plan

After learning how best to support students, prepare your support activity with your local Mennonite Action team or church congregation. If you’re planning food, make sure to take food-allergy and religious or personal dietary restrictions into account.

If you’re planning some other kind of support activity, make sure it’s aligned with the campus organizers’ wishes, and that it will add to, not detract from, their campus occupation.

Step 3: Hold your support activity

On the time and day of your activity, make sure that you’re coordinating with your contacts at the occupation. Things can change quickly in these moments, and you want to make sure that it will still be safe and useful for you to go forward with your plan.

Make sure to bring signs, when appropriate, openly and publicly declaring Mennonite and Christian support for the students, and for a permanent ceasefire now.

Step 4: After your support activity

After your support activity, make sure to submit a report back and upload photos, so that Mennonite Action can share your display of solidarity.

This toolkit will be updated with more information and resources in the coming days.