The Global Movement in Solidarity with Palestine

The conference “The Global Movement in Solidarity with Palestine and Its Repression,” hosted by the Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS) on November 28–29, 2024, in Florence, brought together a diverse and engaged audience. The event witnessed high attendance, underscoring the urgency and global resonance of the topics discussed. Scholars, activists, and young researchers explored the dynamics of solidarity movements, the repression they face, and the multifaceted connections between local and transnational issues.

Key Themes Explored

The conference addressed several pressing issues. The opening keynote by Donatella della Porta highlighted the “contentious politics of solidarity,” setting the tone for discussions on how the pro-Palestinian movement navigates a complex global political environment. Panels throughout the event emphasized the repression of solidarity, shifting protest frames, and the transformative potential of collective action. Particularly, Donatella della Porta examined the deployment of antisemitism accusations in Germany as a mechanism to suppress pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Drawing from her recent book, Guerra all’antisemitismo, she analyzed how antisemitism is framed as a moral panic to delegitimize activism in support of Palestine. This framing often portrays demonstrators as threats to social cohesion, justifying state repression and curbing public dissent. Della Porta’s analysis underscored the political manipulation of antisemitism narratives, which not only isolates activists but also distracts from the main issue at stake. Her reflections resonated with those of Aaron Winter, who highlighted how accusations of antisemitism in the UK are used to frame pro-Palestinian activism as reactionary, and Anna Younes, who explored the racialized dimensions of antisemitism narratives and their weaponization in Germany to enforce silence and complicity.

Convergences in Perspectives

Across panels, a notable convergence emerged on several points. First, the framing of solidarity movements as transnational and intersectional was a recurring perspective. Discussions acknowledged how grassroots activism, student protests, and alliances with broader movements like climate justice have broadened the scope of Palestine solidarity. One central theme was the intersectionality of the pro-Palestinian movement. Papers like Giulia Daniele’s “Stop Genocide and Ecocide from Gaza to the World” or della Porta and Stagni Waving Coalition in Action examined the integration of environmental justice and other themes such as feminism and queerness into the fight for Palestinian rights. By connecting ecocide, femicide and scholasticide with genocide, the movement frames Palestine not merely as a geopolitical issue but as a global justice concern, linking it with environmental, feminist, and racial equality struggles.

Second, repression emerged as a shared challenge. Presenters explored how governments, institutions, universities and media in diverse contexts—from Europe to the U.S.—suppress pro-Palestinian activism. Legal repercussions, media vilification, political isolation, and job loss are common tactics used to stifle dissent, reflecting systemic obstacles to global solidarity. Testimonies from Germany, the United States, France, and Switzerland were particularly worrying.

Finally, participants converged on the importance of cultural and academic spaces in sustaining the movement. Whether through encampments in Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, as Daniel, Fisher, Scheerer, Grimm, Mauthofer, Sixta, Steinhilper, and Bennani-Chraïbi highlighted, or the alternative knowledge sites, these spaces function as crucial nodes for fostering dialogue and resilience against repression.

The documentary Far From Gaza by Harshit Singh and Camilla Flores provided a creative lens to explore social movements, using a visual medium to depict the global resonance of Palestinian solidarity in Denmark. Additionally, Charlotte Rose and Sigrid Corry presented an incisive study on global exchanges and the blockade of ports, examining how Palestinian solidarity movements disrupt the circulation of goods and weapons. Their work, focusing on the politics of infrastructure, showcased how grassroots actions challenge the logistics of militarization and imperialism. These discussions connected the symbolic and practical dimensions of activism, emphasizing the importance of targeting economic and logistical systems that sustain oppression. Together, these contributions underscored the multifaceted and global nature of the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement.

The second keynote of the conference was delivered by Éric Fassin, who presented insights from his recent book, Misère de l’anti-intellectualisme: Du procès en wokisme au chantage à l’antisémitisme (The Misery of Anti-Intellectualism: From the Trial of Wokism to the Blackmail of Antisemitism). Fassin’s keynote critically examined how contemporary political discourse in France conflates intellectual critique with ideological threats, weaponizing terms like “wokism” and antisemitism to delegitimize dissent and reinforce state power. He argued that this form of anti-intellectualism serves to suppress critical engagement with systemic injustices, including racial inequality and colonial histories. Fassin detailed how accusations of antisemitism are not only used to silence pro-Palestinian activists but also to stoke moral panic, shifting focus away from substantive critiques of power structures. This tactic, he suggested, exemplifies a broader trend of authoritarianism cloaked in the defense of liberal democratic values.

Fassin’s analysis tied into the broader themes of the conference, particularly the ways in which accusations of antisemitism serve as a political tool to undermine solidarity movements. By linking these tactics to a wider culture of intellectual repression, his keynote offered a sobering perspective on the state of democratic discourse and the urgent need to defend intellectual freedom in the face of escalating authoritarianism.

The conference featured a diverse array of perspectives, including Martin Portos and Betancor ’s discussion of the Spanish case, which highlighted how solidarity movements for Palestine have evolved within the unique political and cultural context of Spain. In a comparative analysis, Federica Stagni, Donatella della Porta, Laura Mendoza and Martin Portos presented a collaborative study examining the pro-Palestinian solidarity movements in Italy and Spain. Their research contrasted how these movements have been framed and repressed within the two countries, noting both similarities and differences.

This comparative approach underscored the transnational nature of the Palestinian solidarity movement while illuminating how local conditions influence its expression and challenges. Together, these contributions enriched the discussion on the interplay between global solidarity and local activism.

Moving Forward

The concluding panel, “The Path Ahead,” emphasized practical approaches for amplifying the pro-Palestinian movement. Discussions included leveraging legal mobilization, strengthening alliances with labor unions, and enhancing grassroots coordination to counteract repression. The conference underscored a shared commitment to addressing the structural roots of oppression and extending solidarity beyond national borders.

This dynamic gathering reflected not only the richness of academic and activist contributions but also the growing momentum of a global movement in the face of formidable challenges. By situating Palestine within broader struggles for justice, the conference highlighted the interconnected nature of imperialism, racism, and environmental destruction, fostering a unified call for systemic change.

(Federica Stagni)