An Invitation to Visit Library Mall

Dear friends and neighbors,

I come to you during this momentous moment in the nation and Madison’s history to extend an invitation to experience the peaceful protest and encampment for yourselves at Library Mall. This is not necessarily an invitation for you to join in the activities, unless you so choose to, but merely to experience the events unfolding. I wanted to extend this invitation primarily because this is a unique opportunity for Madison residents to join together in community. Also, it is important to build a narrative for yourselves about the peaceful protest and encampment.

Over the past week, many news outlets have covered events at UW-Madison and the other 120+ campuses joining in the “Popular University for Gaza”. After having first-hand experience, I can confidently say that a majority of these news outlets have not properly covered the events at Library Mall. One of the best local news articles that I have seen thus far was written by Scott Gordon of Tone Madison on May 1st. Additionally, UW-Madison student newspapers, including the Daily Cardinal and Badger Herald, have been very good at providing real time updates. Still, the best way for you to experience the events is to go there yourself!

During your visit, you can expect to experience a full range of activities. Each day @sjpuwmadison posts a full activities agenda. Activities for the past five days have included praying, teach-ins, guest speakers, open mics, art-making, screen-printing for t-shirts, dancing, singing, meditation, reallyyy good community meals, and general sharing in community with one another.

Over the past week, I have engaged with many of these activities. I have sung, prayed, made art, laughed, and even cried. I have listened, learned, unlearned, and listened some more. Some of the more impactful moments for me have been sitting on a blanket, eating dinner with my newly adopted friends within the Palestinian and Muslim communities, and listening to their stories.

One of the most empowering moments was yesterday’s “Liberation Shabbat”, immediately followed by the Muslim sunset prayer (shown above). It was an incredibly emotional and impactful religious moment where community members of various religious backgrounds engaged in prayer together.

This form of grassroots community building is something that I encourage everyone to experience. It is sad to know that under the constant threat of UW-Madison administration and law enforcement the space that is currently at Library Mall may not always be there. UW-Madison and the City of Madison should be deeply proud of student organizers. They are leaders of change.

But don’t take my word for it, experience it for yourself! Drop by, have a snack, talk to some cool people, and be in community. I plan to be at Library Mall as much as possible this weekend and am more than happy to chat.