Activism

The arguments have become familiar. We want to enjoy life; music is not political; dancing should unify us, not divide us. We can’t keep being the sacrificial lamb of the Palestinian cause. Aren't you Lebanese? Are you an Islamist? Don’t you like rock and roll music, coca-cola, and dancing under the stars at open-air raves? Aren’t you for the freedom of expression? Are you (gasp) intolerant?

On May 31, Israel massacred 10 international activists and injured nearly 30 on international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. About 650 international activists, from 44 countries around the world, were heading towards Gaza Strip carrying humanitarian aid including scooters for disabled people, medicine, toys, and basic foods. The Free Gaza flotilla’s mission was to break the four years of Israeli blockade and siege on Gaza Strip.

Very few newspapers headlined the strike which started yesterday at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Many started a campaign on Facebook to invite their fellow students to join them in the strike and discuss the administration’s decisions. Initial responses came from people outside the University who criticized the “bourgeois revolution,” of “AUB students who finally realized education should be affordable.”

Very few newspapers headlined the strike which started yesterday at the American University of Beirut (AUB).