🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Sereen Haddad, a Palestinian student activist who helped lead the VCU Gaza solidarity encampment before police violently dismantled it!

In the days leading up to graduation, Sereen had been pepper-sprayed, beaten, and sent to the ER with head trauma as VCU and Virginia State Police stormed the encampment. Three days before graduation, she received an email from the university stating that she could walk the stage, but her degree would not be conferred due to her involvement in the protest.

Sereen’s story is not only about repression but also resilience. She experienced firsthand the violence facing student organizers across the U.S.—and yet, she insists: Palestinians refuse to remain quiet. Instead of breaking her, these moments only strengthened her resolve. With the help of Palestine Legal, she fought back and won her degree—showing that student movements have power and that universities are not neutral but complicit.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ What it means to be Palestinian in a world that dehumanizes your people

➡ Police repression at VCU’s Gaza encampment

➡ The loss of her family members in Gaza and why they are people, not statistics

➡ Why the divestment movement matters and terrifies universities

➡ Advice to other students facing repression on campus

➡ The resilience, pride, and love at the heart of Palestinian identity

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

01:42 – VCU Withheld Her Degree & the Days After October 7

10:02 – The VCU Encampment: Police Violence & Repression

16:07- The Haddad Legacy: Refusal & Resistance

20:47- Graduation Blocked: Student Conduct vs. Palestine Solidarity

29:00- Morals 101 & Calling in Backup: Palestine Legal

36:53- Why Silence is Not an Option

41:56- Final Reflections: Pride, Struggle & Speaking Out

📲 Follow: @sereen_haddad_

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com

#Palestine #SumudPod #FreePalestine #DivestFromGenocide #Gaza #StudentProtests #CampusEncampments #EndTheOccupation #Divest #BDS

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