Ep. 28: Palestine, Protest, and Police Repression at UMass Amherst

In this episode, we delve into the student-led, anti-war activism that has been building on campus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It’s a movement that has been around long before the school’s leadership called in the police to break up a protest encampment this spring. That decision resulted in a violent crackdown during which police arrested more than 130 people who continue to face charges. The “Popular University for Gaza Encampment,” as it was known, was aimed in part at drawing attention to the university’s partnership with weapons manufacturers.

Co-hosts Shelby Lee and Dusty Christensen are joined by two guests this week: Kevin Young, a history professor at UMass Amherst, and Max Greenberg⁩, a PhD student in the university’s economics department. Young is part of the group Faculty for Justice in Palestine and an elected leader in the university’s faculty union. He’s also part of the multi-union environmental coalition on campus, the Environmental and Social Action Movement. Greenberg is a union member with the Graduate Employee Organization, which represents grad-student workers on campus, and is part of the steering committee of the union’s Palestine Solidarity Caucus. He has also done organizing with the Western Mass Coalition for Palestine.

Listen and subscribe to Trippin’ on The Shoestring on Apple, Spotify, Audible, Spreaker, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find our podcast page on Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser, or JioSavvn.

Produced by Ático Studios. Music by An Archaeologist.

The Shoestring is an independent local news outlet serving western Massachusetts. In our podcast Trippin’ on the Shoestring, investigative reporters Dusty Christensen and Shelby Lee bring you big local scoops and important voices from across the Connecticut River Valley.

The Shoestring is committed to bringing you ad-free content. We rely on readers to support our work! You can support independent news for Western Mass by visiting our Donate page.