Palestine Activism at Ghent University: Experiences from the Refaat Alareer Encampment

This text is part of a larger piece on student encampments for Palestine. It provides an account of several students and staff who participated in the forty-day occupation of Ghent University's Refaat Alareer building. The occupation was initiated on May 6 by Ghent Students for Palestine and End Fossil Ghent, highlighting their interconnected fights against the genocide in Gaza and climate injustice. The authors explain the formation, dynamics, and actions of this joint occupation, as well as its organizational structure, intersectional approach, and the impact it had within and beyond the university, including the cutting of all academic ties with Israeli universities. Through this text the authors aim to illuminate the power of collective action and the potential for solidarity across diverse movements to challenge and dismantle entrenched systems of injustice.