2. Gaza Encampment w/ Sara Rasikh

UofT encampment organizer Sara Rasikh joins me to walk through the inside story of “Occupy for Palestine”—from the first tents at King’s College Circle (May 2, 2024) to the court-ordered dismantling (July 3). We talk logistics, negotiation, care work, spiritual life in the camp, and the personal risks for student spokespeople. I set the scene with “Fascist / Squish / Antifascist” news on Greta Thunberg’s deportation and how liberal institutions police dissent—then close with a “fashy dad” segment on UK PM Keir Starmer and the criminalization of Palestine Action supporters. If you’ve wondered what encampments actually do—politically, ethically, and communally—this is your primer.

Guest
Sara Rasikh (PhD student, University of Toronto). MA in Social Justice Education; HBA in Ethics, Society & Law and in Critical Studies in Equity & Solidarity (UofT).

Listen & Support
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Content notes
State violence; detention; doxxing; police actions; genocide; fasting/starvation; prison abuse (discussion).

References

• UofT encampment—injunction & dismantling (July 2–3, 2024): University’s official notice and Reuters same-day coverage confirm the court order to clear by 6:00 p.m., July 3 and the camp’s removal. Office of the President

• Campus encampment wave scale (May 2024): AP reported rapid spread across Europe and the U.S.; The Chronicle’s tracker packages recap scope and arrests through 2024–25. AP News

• Greta Thunberg—deportation & Athens remarks (Oct 6, 2025): On-the-ground AP and Reuters pieces (plus AP video) document the deportations and her statement at Athens airport. AP News

• Hannibal Directive on Oct 7, 2023: Haaretz investigation (with summary reporting by Al Jazeera) details the order’s use on Oct 7. Haaretz

• “Imperial boomerang” (Césaire): Primary text from Monthly Review Press / NYU Press (JSTOR book page) for Discourse on Colonialism. Monthly Review

• UK role in F-35 supply chain (~15% workshare): UK government and BAE sources (plus NAO summary) reaffirm ~15% UK content on every F-35. National Audit Office (NAO)

• Palestine Action—RAF plane damage & subsequent arrests after proscription (2025): Timeline covered by AP and Reuters from June–Oct 2025, including charges over RAF Brize Norton and mass arrests for “support for a proscribed organisation.” AP News

• Canada—status of arms export permits to Israel & contested “freeze”: Reuters on the March 2024 freeze on new permits; full NGO report (Arms Embargo Now, July 29, 2025) with shipment/bullets figures; Canadian government response; additional Reuters context on lawsuits and supplier overviews. Reuters