Ten years on from RhodesMustFall, the UCT student community continues to mobilise to dismantle the legacies of colonialism.
The 2020s kicked off with a bang. Between a global pandemic that came to define a generation and an ever-changing political landscape, the decade has already delivered some of the most consequential events of the century. Nowhere is this more apparent than on university campuses across the world. Young people have always been at the forefront of organisational efforts. In the previous century, politics was largely shaped by youth and student-led protests, and this remains especially true in the age of social media, with computers in our pockets. Grassroots student organisations are the beating heart of youth activism. Built from the ground up, they offer a rare opportunity for young people to change a world they did not build. Increasingly, we have seen how young people dedicate themselves to causes that emphasise community. We have seen them march down city streets, mobilise online, and challenge age-old systems that marginalise people.
But what does it take to mobilise on a campus as vast as UCT? What resources and hours must be dedicated to a cause? What does activism mean at an institution with a colonial legacy, particularly in a moment that emphasizes decoloniality?
This is why I wanted to speak to members of UCT4Palestine, the grassroots coalition movement which began organising for Palestine shortly after Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in 2023. Last year, UCT4Palestine launched itself as a viable and compelling organisation, effectively mobilising to accomplish various goals across campus. These include an encampment on the UCT Plaza, part of the global college campus protests for Palestine, and a successful online petition calling for accountability regarding allegations of Zionist racism by a senior lecturer. UCT4Palestine has kept busy, as the movement for a free Palestine grows.
I met with UCT4Palestine during an art session hosted by Rainbow UCT – the on-campus queer advocacy group and a part of the UCT4Palestine network – to mark the end of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW). Observed globally, IAW (as described by the Palestinian-led BDS movement) is an annual opportunity for “mobilizing grassroots support on the global level for the Palestinian liberation struggle against Israel’s decades-long regime of settler colonialism and apartheid.” This year, UCT students commemorated IAW in the final week of the first term. The week-long event saw various student networks mobilise on campus and culminated in an Iftar organised by UCT4Palestine.
The art session is in full swing when I sit down with Rumi, a final-year Law student and founding member of UCT4Palestine. We’re tucked away from the blazing sun, under the leafy cover on UCT Plaza, and art supplies surround us. We’re joined by Rainbow UCT – who announce their presence with a colourful, handmade banner complete with dancing silhouettes in the style of Keith Haring – along with other students eager to unwind on a Friday afternoon. They come up and ask, “Is this the painting for Palestine? Can I join?” Rumi makes room for everyone, including me, even though I don’t paint anything (“I’m not artistic”, I confess, defeated). The relaxed atmosphere and the slight lull on campus allow us to fall into a rhythmic beat and make me forget that this is the first time I’m meeting Rumi. The conversation is warm and friendly. I immediately feel like we’re old friends, catching up, connecting.
It’s here where I ask Rumi to tell me what UCT4Palestine is, and for her, the essence of UCT4Palestine can be found in its mission statement. “We’re a collective of student and staff organisations, trade unions and individuals, who want to combat prejudice and fascism,” she says. Recognising that many people and networks on campus were working toward the same goal separately, the UCT4Palestine movement was launched as a coalition. So, while the organisation may be a relatively new addition to the UCT campus, with more formidable and seasoned Palestinian-led causes scattered across UCT, its founding members have firm roots in activism, organising efforts, and political action.
Politics does not exist in a vacuum, and UCT4Palestine is acutely aware of this, defining itself as an intersectional movement, even though its members initially united around the Palestinian cause. The struggle for Palestinian liberation extends beyond Palestine and its people; it is deeply connected to global social justice issues, as Rumi explains. UCT4Palestine reflects this, championing queer rights, anti-racism and class solidarity. “We seek to find and root out injustice wherever we find it,” Rumi tells me. UCT4Palestine has forged its own path, determined to distinguish itself from what Rumi calls other “increasingly exclusionary” Palestinian organisations on campus. The organisation has remained broad, inclusive, and committed to learning and expanding. “We can all learn from each other,” Rumi remarks.
Activism, for Rumi, is not about making the loudest noise or drawing the most attention. It requires grit and a calculated boldness. Many are opposed to the work that UCT4Palestine is so committed to, meaning the network cannot afford missteps, rash decisions, or unprepared actions. Rumi emphasizes the importance of being prepared and rational, even when confronting reprehensible injustices. It’s important to weigh the consequences and understand the bureaucracy of an institution like UCT, as well as the potential advantages these bureaucratic structures can offer. Petitions, familiarity with the workings of UCT’s Senate, and engaging with the media help UCT4Palestine stay ahead and stay prepared. For Rumi, UCT4Palestine becomes a training camp. “There are a lot of students who intrinsically believe and say, ‘I support gay rights, I don’t think pinkwashing is good, I support Palestine, but I don’t really know why.’ I think that it’s important that people can say why because, as unfounded as they are, homophobes and Zionists have arguments,” Rumi explains. Countering these arguments with concrete evidence is important, according to her. UCT4Palestine offers a chance for engagement, consideration, and unique perspectives from the varied coalition that prepares its members for political action.
The warm welcome that I, and so many other students, received right at the start of our conversation was not unintentional. Community is the basis of UCT4Palestine’s foundation; it is woven into their tapestry. “There is no activism without it,” Rumi admits, emphasizing that community is essential to organizing. The allure of UCT4Palestine is not the many successes the young organisation has had since its inception, but rather that it offers students a chance to be part of something extraordinary. “Here’s a space for you, for you to come and figure out who you are and learn together,” Rumi says. In this way, activism takes on a new meaning. Activism becomes about building lasting relationships, trusting each other, and learning to connect with the people around you. This is the key to UCT4Palestine’s endurance, which will ensure that the organisation survives long after Rumi and other founding members have graduated from university.
“Ten years ago, Rhodes was sitting on this campus, looking at us. 2015 is not that long ago,” Rumi remarks, speaking candidly. They are referring to the statue of Rhodes that once sat at the foothill of Upper Campus. The statue was meant to commemorate Cecil John Rhodes, a British colonialist who once owned the land UCT was built on. Rhodes’ legacy remains contested. During his time as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, Rhodes played a fundamental role in racial segregation. His segregationist policies would outlive him, laying the groundwork for the National Party’s Apartheid in 1948. Rhodes’ towering presence on campus served as a reminder of white supremacist rule and ruthless colonial conquest. A decade ago, UCT students demanded that his statue be removed, and the university finally contended with its institutional racism. The statue was removed and UCT promised to turn a page, but many students feel little transformation has taken place. The start of the 2025 academic year saw thousands of students face exclusion because of fee blocks. Outraged by what they saw as punishing poverty, students mobilised. UCT4Palestine did too. This is the core of their work, challenging oppression and rooting out the persistent legacy of colonialism in higher education.
“What are you most proud of UCT4Palestine for?” I ask Rumi, as our afternoon winds down. “Getting the Boycott Motions passed all the way to council!” The Boycott Motions Rumi refers to led UCT to adopt the Jerusalem definition of antisemitism, which does not characterize criticism of Zionism or Israel as antisemitic. The motions also prohibited the university from collaborating with anyone affiliated with the Israeli Defence Force or the Israeli military establishment. Since 2017, students and staff of UCT have lobbied for these two motions that were eventually passed last year. In 2018, the motion passed the Senate and went to Council, the university’s highest decision-making body, but was “kicked back to Senate by Council before dissipating,” as Rumi explains. While she maintains that the academic boycott alone is insufficient, Rumi remains optimistic. “It’s a lot more than we’ve achieved in the past, and it is something we can build on.” she says.
So, what does it take to mobilise on the UCT campus? Community. Resilience. Courage. Resolve.
Get inspired with UCT4Palestine by finding them on Instagram, @UCT4Palestine.