Explore the untold story behind Columbia University's student protests in 'The Encampments', a documentary that sheds light on Israel's Gaza conflict and media bias. Description: The timely new documentary “The Encampments” brings viewers into the Columbia University encampments and captures the spirit of the student protests — without the media spin we see so often in commercial reporting. Laura sits down with the co-director and two students featured in the film to discuss how the film came to be, and where the situation stands today. “I don't really participate as a Jewish person, I participate as an activist and a person of conscience that is Jewish . . . There's a very insidious narrative that was basically, ‘If you're not Jewish and you're not Palestinian, then talking about this is strange. Having an opinion on this conflict is strange and you should just stop talking about it because you're probably only motivated by antisemitism.’ I want to push back and say that anybody can have an opinion on this. It's the world's first livestreamed genocide.” - Grant Miner “There is not, I think, one moment of regret. Yeah, not a moment of regret in our bodies, in our hearts. Especially knowing that the increased scale of repression, both at the federal level and at the institutional level at Columbia University, is happening because we were so successful at mobilizing such a large mass of people, perhaps for the first time in a very long time in America.” - Sueda Polat “The media has shown, time and time again, that they are completely incapable of telling the story of Palestine honestly . . . We put this film out to highlight the difference between these people who take paychecks from people who are complicit in genocide, and people who have no allegiance to money or corporations or military industrial messaging” - Kei Pritsker Guests: • Grant Miner: Columbia University Student Activist, The Encampments; President, SWC-UAW 2710 • Sueda Polat: Columbia University Student Activist, The Encampments; Graduate Student Human Rights • Kei Pritsker: Co-Director, The Encampments, Journalist, BreakThrough News - Watch the episode released on our YouTube channel May 23rd 5pm ET; PBS World Channel May 25th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings) and airing on community radio & available as a podcast May 28th. - Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Become a sustaining member or make it monthly. All the details are at: https://LauraFlanders.org/Donate
snyopsis- Challenging the narrative on Palestine in this edition of our monthly Meet the BIPOC Press series : "The Encampments" documentary, and its creators aim to push back against the dominant narrative on Palestine, highlighting the difference between the corporate media coverage and those who have no allegiance to money or corporations, and sparking a wider conversation about the world's first live streamed genocide.
Description: “The Encampments” co-produced by Macklemore, brings viewers into the anti-Gaza war protests at Columbia University and gets up close and personal with leaders including Mahmoud Khalil, the student negotiator currently detained by ICE in violation of a court’s order. In this special episode in our series Meet the BIPOC Press, Laura sits down with Sueda Polat and Grant Miner, two of Khalil’s colleagues in the encampments, who were suspended and expelled, respectively, as well as the film’s co-director, journalist Kei Pritsker of BreakThrough News to discuss how the film came to be, and where the situation stands today as well as what’s missing and who is misrepresented in commercial news. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on Columbia University’s move to suspend four college journalists “being too close to the action.”
Guests:
• Grant Miner: Columbia University Student Activist, The Encampments; President, SWC-UAW 2710
• Sueda Polat: Columbia University Student Activist, The Encampments; Graduate Student Human Rights
• Kei Pritsker: Co-Director, The Encampments, Journalist, BreakThrough News
Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters.
Watch the special report released on YouTube May 23rd 5pm ET; PBS World Channel May 25th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast May 28th.
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RESOURCES:
Full Episode Notes are located HERE.
Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:
• Organizing for Ceasefire Through Policy & Protest: Meet the People of JVP & NY Assemblymember Mamdani: Watch / Audio Podcast: Episode and Full Conversation
• BIPOC Press for the People: Bursting the Corporate Media Bubble: Watch / Audio Podcast: Episode
• Israel, Hamas & Universal Human Rights: Former UN Official Craig Mokhiber Describes Path Forward: Watch / Audio Podcast: Episode and Full Conversation
Related Articles and Resources:
• ‘The Encampments’ Documentary, Watch the Trailer
• Columbia Just Suspended Four Student Journalists: The university continues to violate its students’ freedom of speech. By Edith Olmsted, May 9, 2025, The New Republic
• Columbia University suspends more than 65 students over library occupation, by Kanishka Singh, May 9, 2025, Reuters
• Deaths from Israel’s attacks on Gaza close to 62,000 as missing added, February 3, 2025, Aljazeera