#9 - Sara Rasikh: Palestine, OccupyUofT, Gaza, & Divestment
Sara Rasikh is a key figure in the student activist group OccupyUofT, serving as the media representative and head of media operations. A student at the University of Toronto, Rasikh has been instrumental in publicizing the group's campaigns, particularly their advocacy for the university to divest from companies tied to the Israeli military and to cut academic ties with Israeli institutions involved in the occupation of Palestinian territories.
OccupyUofT is a student-led organization at the University of Toronto focused on advocating for divestment from entities sustaining the attacks on Gaza + the occupation, apartheid, and illegal settlements of Palestine. The group calls for divestment from companies supplying military goods to Israel and the termination of partnerships with Israeli academic institutions involved in the occupied Palestinian territories. They have staged notable protests, including occupying the president’s office and establishing an encampment on campus, to pressure the university into adopting these changes and fully disclosing its financial holdings
OUTLINE:
00:00:00 - OccupyUofT's Demands for Disclosure and Divestment
00:04:24 - University of Toronto's Investments in Weapons Manufacturing Companies Linked to The Ongoing Gaza Genocide
00:06:28 - Divide & Conquer: The Annihilation of Palestinian Education & Academic Institutions As a Priority
00:10:44 - What Are The Ignored Demands of the Protesters?00:12:45 - Ignoring the Genocide and Reproducing Violence
00:14:54 - Humanitarian crisis in Rafah
00:16:55 - The Ongoing Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians
00:18:59 - UofT's Hostility and Attempted Suppression of The Advocacy Group
00:25:12:- Divestment, Disclosure, and Cutting Ties
00:27:12 - Students Dealing with Agitators and Harassment in The Encampment
00:29:22 - Anti-Semitism and Zionism
00:31:33 - What Are Divisions and Subtle Racism?
00:33:44 - Forced Cultural Assimilation and Adopting Settler Identities
00:35:53 - Students Practicing De-escalation Towards Agitators
00:37:59 - UofT's Ongoing Surveillance, Intimidation Tactics, and Threats to the Students
00:42:07 - The Peaceful Environment at the Encampment
00:44:15 - Dealing With Anti-Palestinian Racism and Protests
00:46:17 - OccupyUofT and UofT's Ongoing Negotiations and Demands
00:50:27 - The Israeli government's stance on releasing hostages
00:52:31 - The Power of Protest and Divestment So Far Across the World
00:54:31 - Living in Tents For Months, Building a Community, And The Growth of the Community
00:58:41 - Strength in Community and Unity among Students
01:00:34 - Message For the Future: Centering Humanity and Solidarity