Torrey, King and Torres are communications students who are classmates at UC San Diego and live in La Jolla.
On May 4, UC San Diego students set up an encampment on campus to protest the university's investments in weapons manufacturing and other programs related to engagement with Israel. On May 6, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khorsa called in campus police to disperse the encampment.
That weekend, as pro-Palestinian protesters were loaded onto buses at the county jail for exercising their First Amendment rights, we couldn't help but think of Marfa Rabkova, more than 6,000 miles away in Homiye, Belarus, who spent the better part of four years in solitary confinement and is now considered a Belarusian state terrorist. She will spend another 14 years there, denied proper medical care, simply because she protested with other students. In an increasingly interconnected world, the parallels between seemingly distant events are becoming startlingly clear.
As a student of human rights, the Marfa case seemed so far away, but now it is so close to us. These cases show how academics and human rights are under threat not only in authoritarian regimes, but also in democratic societies where freedom of speech should be a given.
What would happen if the entire student body and faculty of UC San Diego were locked up for 14 years?
In 2020, Lovekova was a third-year student studying International and European Law at the European University of Humanities. Outside of class, she worked as a Volunteer Services Coordinator at the Human Rights Center Viasna, where she organized many election monitoring campaigns and oversaw peaceful protests against President Alexander Lukashenko's fraudulent elections. Her work attracted the attention of many human rights organizations, but also the Belarusian government, which detained Lovekova and her husband, Vadim Zhalomskiy, on September 17, 2020.
The charges against Lovekova included “intentional destruction or damage to property, generally carried out in a dangerous manner” and “incitement to hatred.” Contrast this with an email update from UC San Diego President Khosla, who said “the decision to remove the campsite was made in light of the significant dangers to people both inside and outside the campsite” and that “we must ensure that everyone has the opportunity to work and learn in an environment free of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination.”
Mumia Abu-Jamal, an American political activist and journalist, said, “Common sense would suggest that resisting this most powerful empire would be madness, but history actually shows that the empires of today are ashes tomorrow, that nothing lasts forever, and that to not resist is to submit to our own oppression.”
Scholars At Risk is a program that does just that, working with schools around the world to address issues of academic freedom and partnering with schools and universities around the world through the Scholars in Prison Project to support academic prisoners like Marfa.
The attack on UC San Diego is a prime example of how institutions can suppress dissent. The university's decision to respond with force rather than dialogue not only undermines the principles of academic freedom, but also sends a frightening message to other students and activists that dissent will not be tolerated. Universities, traditionally seen as bastions of free thought and expression, are increasingly turning to authoritarian tactics to manage dissent.
If an institution dedicated to learning and progress cannot tolerate peaceful protest, what of the broader struggle for human rights and democracy? Universities need to be held accountable when they violate these rights. Ensuring that the academic environment remains a place where ideas can be freely exchanged and debated is essential to fostering a healthy democratic society.
The incident at UC San Diego and Marfa Lovekova's story highlight an important truth: the right to protest and advocate for change is fundamental to any free society. When this right is threatened, not only do those individuals directly affected suffer, but the very fabric of our democracy is weakened. By standing with these activists, we demonstrate our commitment to the principles of justice, freedom, and human rights.
Their fight is our fight, and their courage should inspire us all to stand up and speak out.
