URBAN ZINE BY BCUR
SPRING 2024
Gigi Silla
V.V. Janney
Pg. 14: Fragments from the Encampment
Our Contributors
Aminah Martin
Aldrete
Isabella
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Gigi Silla (including cover)
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Aminah Martin
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V.V.
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Janney
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Isabella Aldrete 13
FRAGMENTS FROM THE ENCAMPMENT
by BCUR
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We Keep Us Safe
I snapped this photo on Sunday, April 21 as I returned from a snack run. I looked closer and realized the signified individuals stood as proxies for the various roles present in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
First, the Red Figure in the middle. She is holding a tarp above her head and captured in a powerful, Lady-Liberty-equse pose. She protects the camp through the provision of supplies, capitalizing off of mutual aid donations. The Red Figure’s calm but firm stature speaks to the presence of the encampment, even as it faces increasing scrutiny.
The second figure of interest is the Green Figure, shown to the right of Red. He is checking one of his cameras, leaving the two others around his neck. An older gentleman, the Green Figure looks to be no student, highlighting the press’s involvement in the encampment. Eager to capture images (often without expressed consent) to represent unknown narratives, he reminds everyone in the encampment of the continuous surveillance it faces.
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The Yellow Figure, adjacent to Green, represents student protesters. While she might not be directly involved with CUAD, the Yellow Figure references the hundreds of students who have visited and stayed on the lawns. She reminds those involved that we protect us; the encampment's safety depends on students and faculty in numbers.
On the left are the Gray and Blue Figures. The Gray Figure is looking off camera his stance is stern assumed to be a student photographer, signified by his camera and lack of professional gear. I can attest that his hidden face is the Blue Figure, donning a red keffiyeh, who gestures to something on the ground. Her pose recalls one from the Northern Italian Renaissance period, biblical in nature.
To the left of the Gray Figure are two unmasked onlookers. Separated from the encampment by a fence, they remind us not everyone on campus aligns with the actions taken by Columbia University Apartheid Divest. With this ever present reality, the encampment established security officials at every gate opening.
Together, these individuals highlight the ecology of the encampment—a collective community that is rooted in the continuing fight for Palestine, for liberation, for disinvestment, for amnesty, and for free speech.
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