These articles are useful for kicking off conversations.

Cal State Professors Targeted for Exposing School’s Ties to Israel’s Genocide in Gaza |Counter Punch
Protesting at your own University is not always safe — Five professors at Cal State Long Beach were targeted after exposing the university’s ties to defense contractors like Boeing, which profit from Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The professors believe they were singled out for their pro-Palestinian activism and an article they co-wrote criticizing the university’s corporate partnerships.

Cornell Students Shut Down Career Fair Featuring Weapons Manufacturers | Cornell Sun
Nonviolence works — Cornell students disrupted the ILR School’s Human Capital and HR Career Fair, which featured recruiters from weapons manufacturers Boeing and L3Harris. Students organized with the Coalition for Mutual Liberation successfully shut the event down using pots, pans and noisemakers in Statler Hall until both employers left the building. They also delivered an indictment to Boeing and L3Harris recruiters finding both companies guilty of aiding and abetting human rights violations, war crimes and genocide.

Palestine Legal Condemns Wave of Campus Anti-Protest Policies Intended To Suppress Student Activism | Palestine Legal
The University of California and Cal State systems banned masks and encampments, and New York University introduced conduct rules protecting Zionism under Title VI. The University of Maryland also unlawfully banned a planned vigil by pro-Palestinian groups. These policies are viewed as a response to pressure from donors and Israel lobby groups, leading to intensified scrutiny and police repression of Palestinian and allied students. These policies undermine freedom of expression, assembly, and academic freedom. Although designed to target criticism of Israel, the policies could be used to suppress protests on other issues like climate change or police violence.

Water Protectors Use Novel Legal Tactic to Challenge the Dakota Access Pipeline | Barn Raising Media
The article reflects on the ongoing struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), eight years after the initial resistance at Standing Rock. Despite legal battles, DAPL continues to operate without proper permits, and the required Environmental Impact Statement is still under review. The article highlights environmental concerns, including spills of toxic drilling fluids into the Missouri River, and criticizes both the pipeline companies and regulatory failures. Additionally, it discusses SLAPP lawsuits used to silence activists like Greenpeace and the Water Protector Legal Collective’s efforts to expose concealed pipeline safety issues. The piece emphasizes the need for continued activism, as protecting water is essential for life.

Police drones could silently video your backyard. That’s a problem | AZ Central
The Scottsdale Police Department’s use of drones as first responders raises concerns about invasive surveillance, capturing private areas like backyards and adding to a national trend of increased police drone usage. Scottsdale’s drones, equipped with technology such as high-resolution cameras, thermal imaging, and license plate readers, are part of a “real-time crime center” that merges data from various surveillance technologies to monitor residents widely. Supreme Court rulings from the 1980s have allowed warrantless aerial surveillance, but drones’ silent, inexpensive, and data-rich capabilities exceed what those rulings considered.

How We Blocked Weapons Trucks in Canada — How You Can Do the Same | World Beyond War
Members of World BEYOND War and allies protested in Hamilton, Ontario, to demand an end to Canada’s arms shipments to Saudi Arabia for its role in the war on Yemen. Activists blocked trucks at Paddock Transportation International, which ships armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia, delaying shipments and drawing widespread media coverage. This action, supported by a Liberal Member of Parliament and bolstered by a new Parliamentary Petition, highlighted growing opposition in Canada to arms sales to Saudi Arabia, mirroring a recent temporary halt by the U.S. Protests also took place in Halifax, targeting Raytheon Canada over its missile sales.

The Civil Rights Law Shutting Down Pro-Palestine Speech | JewishCurrents
The controversy at Barnard College over a screening of the documentary Israelism highlights how Title VI of the Civil Rights Act has been increasingly weaponized to suppress pro-Palestinian speech on college campuses. While the event ultimately proceeded, university administrators initially sought to delay it, citing fears of legal repercussions and federal funding risks due to alleged violations of anti-discrimination laws. This case reflects a broader trend of using Title VI complaints, often linked to the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, to target criticism of Israel as discriminatory, chilling free speech and fostering self-censorship among universities under pressure from pro-Israel advocacy groups and political actors.