Mainstream Media Asks UK Students to 'Regroup' – Not Why They're Protesting
The New Arab asks UK student activists to 'regroup & strategise,' (The New Arab) implying their efforts are merely misdirected, not righteous. This framing subtly shifts focus from the atrocities students protest to the effectiveness of their protest, mirroring a common media tactic. It conveniently ignores the elephant in every university boardroom: the defense contractors, the endowment
investments, and the political pressure from groups like Labour Friends of Israel, which received £150,000 from 2019-2023, according to Electoral Commission data. How many ceasefire deals does it take for media to address the “why” instead of just the “how” of protest? Instead of dissecting student tactics, perhaps major outlets could dissect the millions in political
donations shaping UK foreign policy, (see OpenSecrets.org for US equivalents showing millions in AIPAC and pro-Israel PAC spending) or the university endowments invested in companies profiting from occupation. But no, the call is for activism to be 'effective,' not for the institutions they challenge to be ethical. Seems quite strategic indeed – for maintaining the status quo.