University of Waikato students join nationwide protest for Gaza ceasefire

More than 100 students from the University of Waikato gathered in front of the Hamilton campus’ library on Thursday as part of a nationwide protest for an end to the conflict in Gaza.

The news comes as Israel continues its all-out ground invasion in Gaza, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee.

And AP reports the United Nations said it had suspended food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah due to a lack of supplies and insecurity.

Thursday’s protest was organised by a collective of students and student organisations from across New Zealand to coincide with the 76th anniversary of The Nakba, the ethnic cleansing episode involving the mass displacement and dispossession of millions of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

Students protested for an hour at campuses in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Manawatū, calling for tertiary institutions to declare and recognise Palestine as an independent and sovereign state.

They also called for the universities to disclose and end all partnerships with Israel and put a stop to anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and “all forms of discrimination”.

Waikato Students’ Union vice-president Mira Arif led and helped organise the Hamilton branch of the protest.

“Events like this are important for showing the government how outraged we are,” Arif told the Waikato Herald.

“I am a half-Iraqi, half-Syrian wahine with family in Gaza so this issue is close to my heart.

“I’ve lost over 35 family members in Gaza so far.”

Arif said she had not had much connection with her extended Syrian family in Gaza, many of whom had married Palestinians, but their situation “hits so deeply in my heart”.

“I’m living such a privileged life here. I can forget about it and go on with my life.”

But Arif said her family in the Middle East could not forget.

“A few of them are trying to flee to safety. A few of them are struggling to find their way. We are grappling with that at the moment.”

Waikato Students' Union vice-president Mira Arif led a student protest at the University of Waikato against the Israel-Palestine conflict. Photo / Maryana Garcia

Arif said she had been protesting and advocating for Palestine for as long as she could remember.

“It’s very interesting for me to see the other side, to meet the people who hadn’t heard about Palestine at all until October 7 [2023].”

Arif said there were many ways to show support for the Palestinian cause and protest Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“I feel like there are different events that are suited for different people,” she said.

“It’s about giving everyone a chance to participate, a chance for change to click in their minds.”

Arif said, after seven months of conflict, she had seen protests increasing.

“Last week on Wednesday we organised a rally and we were really happy with the turnout.”

Arif said the protests were not just for students but university staff as well.

“I can see and I can sense how silenced the staff may feel because their jobs are on the line.”

More than 100 students gathered at the doors of the University of Waikato library as part of a national protest against Israel's actions in Gaza. Photo / Maryana Garcia

Waikato Muslim Students Association social media content creator Mariyam Ather said many of the university’s clubs and associations were represented at the protest.

“We have Vietnamese students, Malaysian students, we have the international club, the wellness club.”

Ather said the main motive of the protest was to educate.

“We want to see a free Palestine,” Ather said.

“What is happening in Gaza is genocide. We don’t want to be neutral. We want to stand a firm ground.”

University of Waikato management and marketing professor Debashish Munshi said he stood with the struggle of Palestinians for justice.

“I believe it is time for academics to emerge from the rarified world of so-called balance and neutrality,” Munshi said to the gathered student protestors.

“[It is time] to critically examine the dynamics of power and openly side with the underprivileged for the sake of true equity.”

University of Waikato management and marketing professor Debashish Munshi joined the student protest on Thursday. Photo / Maryana Garcia

Eilidh Pūrewa Huggan spoke at the protest on behalf of Ngā Haumi the rōpū for Māori and indigenous students committed to advocating for climate justice at the university.

Huggan said the deaths in Gaza should not be “normalised”.

“It should be something we think about every, single day. Seeing this kind of death every day is not normal,” Huggan said.

“I will not stand up here and accept inaction from any of us.

“As a bare minimum, this university has to declare and recognise Palestine as an independent sovereign state. It also needs to disclose and divest all direct partnerships with Israel.

“It needs to stand in full solidarity now.”

A University of Waikato spokesperson told the Waikato Herald the institution supported the rights of its students and staff to freedom of expression.

“The university has a positive working relationship and open lines of communication with the Waikato Students’ Union and was informed of the protest ahead of time.”

The spokesperson said the university’s guidelines for protest included respect of others’ views and avoiding risk to other campus users.

“These expectations were met today.”

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.