CUNY Law School Commencement Speaker Fatima Mohammed Slams Israel’s ‘Project of Settler Colonialism,’ ‘Fascist NYPD’

MOHAMMED One of very ░░░░░░░░ legal institutions created to ░░░░░░░░ that the law is ░░░░░░░░ manifestation of white supremacy ░░░░░░░░ continues to oppress and ░░░░░░░░ people in this nation ░░░░░░░░ around the world We ░░░░░░░░ this institution Applause we ░░░░░░░░ this institution to be ░░░░░░░░ with the necessary legal ░░░░░░░░ to protect our communities ░░░░░░░░ protect the organizers fighting ░░░░░░░░ day in and out ░░░░░░░░ no accolades no cameras ░░░░░░░░ votes no PhD grants ░░░░░░░░ to lift the facade ░░░░░░░░ legal neutrality and confront ░░░░░░░░ systems of oppression that ░░░░░░░░ violence on them systems ░░░░░░░░ oppression created to feed ░░░░░░░░ empire with a ravenous ░░░░░░░░ for destruction and violence ░░░░░░░░ created to intimidate bully ░░░░░░░░ censor and stifle the ░░░░░░░░ of those who resist ░░░░░░░░ this moment Applause in ░░░░░░░░ moment of celebrating who ░░░░░░░░ are I want to ░░░░░░░░ CUNY Law as one ░░░░░░░░ the few if not ░░░░░░░░ only law school to ░░░░░░░░ a public statement defending ░░░░░░░░ right of its students ░░░░░░░░ organize and speak out ░░░░░░░░ Israeli settler colonialism Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause That this that ░░░░░░░░ is the law school ░░░░░░░░ passed and endorsed BDS ░░░░░░░░ a student and faculty ░░░░░░░░ Cheering and Applause Recognizing ░░░░░░░░ absent a critical imperialism ░░░░░░░░ colonialism lens our work ░░░░░░░░ the school s mission ░░░░░░░░ is void of value ░░░░░░░░ as Israel continues to ░░░░░░░░ rain bullets and bombs ░░░░░░░░ worshippers murdering the old ░░░░░░░░ young attacking even funerals ░░░░░░░░ graveyards as it encourages ░░░░░░░░ mobs to target Palestinian ░░░░░░░░ and businesses as it ░░░░░░░░ its children as it ░░░░░░░░ its project of settler ░░░░░░░░ expelling Palestinians from their ░░░░░░░░ carrying the ongoing Nakba ░░░░░░░░ our silence is no ░░░░░░░░ acceptable Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ are we are the ░░░░░░░░ body and faculty that ░░░░░░░░ back when investor focused ░░░░░░░░ attempted to cross the ░░░░░░░░ picket line saying loud ░░░░░░░░ clear that Palestine can ░░░░░░░░ longer be the exception ░░░░░░░░ our pursuit of justice ░░░░░░░░ our morality will not ░░░░░░░░ purchased by investors Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause We are the ░░░░░░░░ we are the class ░░░░░░░░ fought for incarcerated clients ░░░░░░░░ zealously filed for their ░░░░░░░░ applications with nearly zero ░░░░░░░░ support Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ are the class that ░░░░░░░░ for clients to get ░░░░░░░░ that went to court ░░░░░░░░ reunite families torn apart ░░░░░░░░ ACS and the Family ░░░░░░░░ We are the class ░░░░░░░░ organized against using Lexis ░░░░░░░░ legal research company contracted ░░░░░░░░ ICE Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ we did all of ░░░░░░░░ in spite of the ░░░░░░░░ in spite of the ░░░░░░░░ activism the self serving ░░░░░░░░ of CUNY central an ░░░░░░░░ that continues to fail ░░░░░░░░ that continues to train ░░░░░░░░ cooperate with the fascist ░░░░░░░░ the military that continues ░░░░░░░░ train IDF of soldiers ░░░░░░░░ carry out that same ░░░░░░░░ globally a larger institution ░░░░░░░░ to its donors not ░░░░░░░░ its students Cheering and ░░░░░░░░ I am here to ░░░░░░░░ us all that our ░░░░░░░░ on its own today ░░░░░░░░ this room is revolutionary ░░░░░░░░ as we embark on ░░░░░░░░ legal careers we must ░░░░░░░░ a discipline of truth ░░░░░░░░ courage and hold ourselves ░░░░░░░░ to the mission statement ░░░░░░░░ came to the school ░░░░░░░░ So today I celebrate ░░░░░░░░ courage and bravery that ░░░░░░░░ us here and I ░░░░░░░░ every moment of resilience ░░░░░░░░ sets us apart as ░░░░░░░░ number one leading public ░░░░░░░░ school in this nation ░░░░░░░░ and Applause I see ░░░░░░░░ see before my eyes ░░░░░░░░ future public defenders I ░░░░░░░░ brilliant immigration attorneys housing ░░░░░░░░ business attorneys civil rights ░░░░░░░░ and movement lawyers I ░░░░░░░░ professors and librarians I ░░░░░░░░ before me future practitioners ░░░░░░░░ will work on contracts ░░░░░░░░ end partnerships with ICE ░░░░░░░░ not intellectual property contracts ░░░░░░░░ secure designs for the ░░░░░░░░ drone technology murdering children ░░░░░░░░ see future lawyers who ░░░░░░░░ defend tenants in court ░░░░░░░░ not those that dispossess ░░░░░░░░ communities from their homes ░░░░░░░░ see future attorneys who ░░░░░░░░ protect the communities terrorized ░░░░░░░░ the surveillance state and ░░░░░░░░ protect the agents of ░░░░░░░░ that carry out that ░░░░░░░░ future lawyers who will ░░░░░░░░ to keep families together ░░░░░░░░ not tear them apart ░░░░░░░░ see future lawyers who ░░░░░░░░ work to make this ░░░░░░░░ a better place one ░░░░░░░░ one movement at a ░░░░░░░░ I see a class ░░░░░░░░ be rejoiced a class ░░░░░░░░ be celebrated a class ░░░░░░░░ be remembered today and ░░░░░░░░ the years ahead And ░░░░░░░░ we celebrate who we ░░░░░░░░ today let us actively ░░░░░░░░ against the collective amnesia ░░░░░░░░ cognitive dissonance that limits ░░░░░░░░ understanding of the world ░░░░░░░░ what is only directly ░░░░░░░░ our eyes Cheering and ░░░░░░░░ Let us remember let ░░░░░░░░ remember that Gaza just ░░░░░░░░ week has been bombed ░░░░░░░░ the world watching That ░░░░░░░░ brown and black men ░░░░░░░░ being murdered by the ░░░░░░░░ at Rikers That there ░░░░░░░░ Palestinian political prisoners like ░░░░░░░░ in U S prisons ░░░░░░░░ there are refugees at ░░░░░░░░ southern border still locked ░░░░░░░░ That yesterday marked one ░░░░░░░░ since the murder of ░░░░░░░░ S journalist Shireen Abu ░░░░░░░░ and that the murder ░░░░░░░░ black men like Jordan ░░░░░░░░ by a white man ░░░░░░░░ the MTA is dignified ░░░░░░░░ politicians like Eric Adams ░░░░░░░░ Sen Chuck Schumer Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause We leave our ░░░░░░░░ and we leave the ░░░░░░░░ to a world that ░░░░░░░░ desperately needs us to ░░░░░░░░ alongside those who have ░░░░░░░░ up for the sake ░░░░░░░░ liberation far more than ░░░░░░░░ could imagine So may ░░░░░░░░ joy and excitement that ░░░░░░░░ the auditorium here may ░░░░░░░░ rage that fills this ░░░░░░░░ dance in the hallways ░░░░░░░░ our elementary schools in ░░░░░░░░ home villages of Sheikh ░░░░░░░░ Yemen Haiti Puerto RICO ░░░░░░░░ the Phillipines May we ░░░░░░░░ in the corners of ░░░░░░░░ New York City bedroom ░░░░░░░░ and dining tables May ░░░░░░░░ be the fuel for ░░░░░░░░ fight against capitalism racism ░░░░░░░░ and Zionism around the ░░░░░░░░ Cheering and Applause No ░░░░░░░░ person will save the ░░░░░░░░ No single movement will ░░░░░░░░ the masses Those who ░░░░░░░░ the ferocity of the ░░░░░░░░ those who carry the ░░░░░░░░ the people the masses ░░░░░░░░ who brought the ferocity ░░░░░░░░ the violence those who ░░░░░░░░ our protection they will ░░░░░░░░ this revolution the revolution ░░░░░░░░ lives so loudly despite ░░░░░░░░ being televised No longer ░░░░░░░░ we going to capitulate ░░░░░░░░ oppressors No longer are ░░░░░░░░ going to put our ░░░░░░░░ in their depraved consciousness ░░░░░░░░ as the great Malcolm ░░░░░░░░ said we declare our ░░░░░░░░ on this earth to ░░░░░░░░ a man to be ░░░░░░░░ human being to be ░░░░░░░░ as a human being ░░░░░░░░ be given the rights ░░░░░░░░ a human being in ░░░░░░░░ society on this earth ░░░░░░░░ this day which we ░░░░░░░░ to bring into existence ░░░░░░░░ any means necessary Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause So one client ░░░░░░░░ a time one case ░░░░░░░░ a time one hearing ░░░░░░░░ a time we will ░░░░░░░░ up for communities we ░░░░░░░░ show up for ourselves ░░░░░░░░ we will protect the ░░░░░░░░ that brings us all ░░░░░░░░ to the fall of ░░░░░░░░ oppressive institution a reality ░░░░░░░░ is only myopic and ░░░░░░░░ to the oppressors but ░░░░░░░░ the inevitable future for ░░░░░░░░ oppressed for oppressed people ░░░░░░░░ for greater empires of ░░░░░░░░ have fallen before and ░░░░░░░░ will these So to ░░░░░░░░ class of 2023 the ░░░░░░░░ begins now Cheering and ░░░░░░░░