The pro-Palestine campus protest movement, which over the past year was thought to have lost momentum due to campaigns, pressure and fatigue, has proven its long-term success with a string of election victories.
In New York, activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who took part in the 2024 Palestine protests at Columbia University, won the Democratic primary against an opponent who had held the seat for five terms. Her victory was just one of a series of successes for pro-Palestine candidates in New York last week.
Maryam Alwan, a leading figure in the Columbia protests, said, "It is very satisfying to feel that the tide is finally turning." Alwan noted that public opinion is now closer to the protesters' demands and that the ripple effects of the campus occupations two years ago are just beginning to be seen.
Following the success of Zohran Mamdani, who was elected New York City mayor last year with the efforts of young pro-Palestine activists, Melat Kiros in Colorado on Tuesday unseated a congressman who had been in office for nearly 30 years. Kiros was dismissed from her law firm in 2023 for a letter that defended advocates of Palestinian rights against accusations of antisemitism. Candidates backed by Palestinian rights supporters also won key races in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Avila Chevalier's victory is particularly striking in the context of the long-term impact of the student protests. The Columbia University campus hosted the first occupation action by students against Israel's genocidal war in response to the destruction in Gaza, and the movement soon spread nationwide. Dozens of tent encampments were set up on campuses, and students demanded their schools divest from Israeli companies and arms manufacturers.
With the intervention of security forces, hundreds of students were detained, many faced academic disciplinary investigations, and politicians from both major parties described the movement as "antisemitic." The Trump administration also attempted to deport non-US citizen student activists. The dispersal of the protests and the activists' retreat to defend their reputations, safety and freedoms gave the impression that the pro-Israel side had suppressed the student movement.
But activists say the story is not over yet. Cameron Jones, who participated in the Columbia protests, said Avila Chevalier had always supported young activists and did not hesitate to defend Palestinian rights even when it was unpopular. Jones said, "Despite the immense pressure we faced and organizing in a hostile environment, it is truly inspiring to see that the power of the people could overcome all the obstacles put up by the federal government, Columbia and the media."
Heba Gowayed, a sociology professor at the City University of New York (CUNY), told Al Jazeera that the recent election victories would not have been possible without the 2024 student protests. Gowayed pointed out that social movements are often seen as defeated when students are dispersed, expelled and universities do not divest, and she said, "But here is the victory of Darializa, Mamdani and the entire socialist slate. If those students had not occupied the campus, this would not have happened."
