Nights at the Encampment Before April 30

By Annisha Singh

Photos by Leon Orlov-Sullivan

NOTE: This article was written before the NYPD removed protestors from the encampment. However, The Campus decided it is still worth publishing as it provides a glimpse into nights at the encampment. 

On Monday, April 29, the encampment at City College was still in full swing with CUNY students, alumni, and faculty continuing to protest. They were chanting and sharing their support for Palestine. They continued even when night and hardship emerged.

An alum named Jihad, volunteered his time to be a part of the encampment security team. He walks around at night to help make sure everything runs smoothly. He said, “We take a couple deli runs in the middle of the night, and we come back, but the security team stays focused, stays vigilant.” There have been instances where individuals have tried to infiltrate the camp, but they have protocols in place for various scenarios.

“A lot of us are Muslim, and it's important in our faith to protect the women… A lot of them wear the hijab, and they’re spending the night. We can’t have people walking around looking into tents you know; it’s very serious,” Jihad explained.  

That’s not all that makes their nights sleepless. The weather continuously fluctuates, surprising them every night. Jihad explains that “it’s never calm”. There are the nights where they shiver and ones where the heat induces restlessness. However, “[i]t’s a small price to pay compared to what the people in Gaza pay,” Jihad said.

On top of that, an ongoing conflict has been the inability to use the bathrooms in campus buildings. City College is denying entry to anyone who’s not essential staff from buildings on the north campus. The protestors outnumber the portable bathrooms, which are “unsanitary” and “disgusting.”

A Protestor giving another Protestor a haircut. Photo by Leon Orlov-Sullivan

Usually, the chanting stops at 10:30 p.m., and a quiet hour starts. On a normal night, Jihad tells us, “We have quiet hours where we tighten down, like no music, no laughing too loud, and just overall communal respect for each other.”