This week, the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) hosted multiple community events to support the ongoing protest against Donald Trump. One such event was UMN’s free gender-affirming clothing drive. Another was as an art build to prepare for a Divest Coalition protest. YDSA protests at UMN Twin Cities are ongoing. Why? Because the university’s investment in Israel is ongoing, and many students don’t want their school funding a genocide. Whether the goal is to give away clothes or make protest signs, community organizing is key. That’s where YDSA comes in.
UMN Twin Cities Gets Help From YDSA
Protesting for a free Palestine isn’t new at UMN Twin Cities. YDSA and other organizations have been vocal opponents of the Palestinian genocide and UMN’s investment in Israel. That becomes a bigger deal all the time as the Trump admin uses protests as an excuse to snuff free speech and detain its political opponents.
First, ICE abducted Columbia University protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil. Then, the Trump administration attempted to deport him despite his legal status. Yesterday, masked ICE agents seized Tufts PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk outside her apartment. The reason? A pro-Palestine op-ed Ozturk had co-written. The government is reportedly seeking to deport Ozturk despite the student’s non-immigrant F-1 Visa.
The signs at the YDSA art drive, as seen in a TikTok by the group, speak for themselves. “Blood On Your Hands UMN,” said one sign. “UMN Pays For Genocide,” said another. They’re a blunt indictment of the school’s investment in Israel and the Palestinian genocide. A third sign put the students’ demands in concrete terms, saying,
Arms Embargo Now
The YDSA and like-minded UMN students don’t want an endless flow of weapons to Israel. Until the school divests from Israel and the Trump administration stops persecuting anti-genocide advocates, protests at UMN Twin Cities will likely continue.
