On Monday, October 27, 2025, the Rutgers Center for Security, Race and Rights transformed the Cook Student Center into a space of reflection, remembrance, and debate, screening the 2025 documentary "The Encampments"—a film that has already sparked intense conversations across the country. Produced by Watermelon Pictures with executive producer Macklemore, the documentary dives deep into the student-led protests in support of Palestine that erupted across U.S. campuses last spring, with Columbia University at the epicenter.
Co-hosted by the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund, the Arab Cultural Club, and the Muslim Public Relations Council, the Rutgers event was more than just a film screening. It was, as organizers emphasized, a night dedicated to recognizing the resilience of the Palestinian cause and the students who rallied behind it. The 90-minute documentary pulls viewers into the heart of the encampments—rows of tents on Columbia's iconic lawns, echoing the historical occupation of Palestinian lands by European settlers in the early 20th century. But, as the film shows, these encampments were not just about protest; they were about community. Students sang, played instruments, shared meals, and created art together, forging bonds that transcended faith and background. Contrary to many mainstream media portrayals, the encampments were peaceful, intentional, and interfaith spaces.
Yet, despite their efforts to follow protest rules and regulations, students faced fierce opposition from both university and government authorities. The documentary doesn’t shy away from showing how quickly narratives can shift depending on the headline. According to footage in "The Encampments," President Donald J. Trump labeled the student protestors "brainwashed" on Fox News, a characterization that set the tone for much of the subsequent debate. The film argues that word choice and framing in the media can be, quite literally, deadly—reshaping public perception and policy in ways that often obscure the lived reality of those on the ground.
Perhaps the most jarring moments in the documentary come from Gaza itself. Early in the film, viewers are confronted with footage of every university in Gaza—Al-Israa University, the Islamic University of Gaza, and more—reduced to rubble by Israeli bombings. Not a single university remains intact. The United Nations, as the film notes, has called Israel's actions a "scholasticide" in addition to the ongoing genocide, underscoring the profound loss of educational infrastructure and opportunity for an entire generation of Palestinians. The documentary overlays these images with information about Columbia University’s investments in Israel, suggesting a direct link between the financial decisions of elite American institutions and the destruction unfolding thousands of miles away.
The film is narrated by a chorus of Columbia students and community members, including Sueda Polat, Grant Miner, and Mahmoud Khalil—the latter serving as the primary liaison between students and the administration. Their voices provide a day-by-day account of the protest’s evolution, from its hopeful beginnings to the moments of crisis that followed. One of the documentary’s recurring themes is the use of police force against protestors, which, according to the film, was often framed as "order and regulation" in American news coverage. Dramatic footage shows police at UCLA, the Free University of Berlin, and the New York Police Department pushing students to the ground, making arrests, and deploying tear gas. One especially harrowing scene shows a student being shoved down a flight of stairs.
Counter-protests, though smaller in number, brought their own dangers. At UCLA, fireworks were thrown into the encampments by opponents, while elsewhere, protestors faced trash-throwing, violent rhetoric, and dehumanizing language—often targeting those of Arab and Muslim backgrounds with accusations of terrorism. The documentary contends that these acts, while sometimes dismissed as isolated incidents, contributed to a broader climate of fear and intimidation.
But perhaps no moment in "The Encampments" is as gut-wrenching as the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl. Trapped in a car with six family members already shot by Israeli forces, Hind made a desperate call to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The film plays the audio of her plea for help—an experience that left many in the Rutgers audience in tears. Israeli soldiers ultimately killed Hind and the paramedics who tried to save her, firing 335 bullets at the car. This tragedy galvanized Columbia students, who occupied Hamilton Hall and renamed it "Hind's Hall" in honor of the more than 50,000 Palestinian children killed as of May 2025. Macklemore, for his part, released a song titled "Hind's Hall" as a companion to the documentary, with lyrics questioning who is granted the right to defend and resist, and how those rights are shaped by wealth and skin color.
The events chronicled in "The Encampments" did not unfold in a vacuum. As the film and subsequent discussions at Rutgers made clear, universities like Columbia found themselves at the crossroads of protest, academic freedom, and government intervention. In July 2025, Columbia University reached a $200 million agreement with the Trump administration after the latter canceled $400 million in federal funds, citing the university's failure to address antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war. The agreement compels Columbia to enforce policies barring protests inside academic buildings and requires masked protesters to show identification if asked. The Knight First Amendment Institute, based at Columbia, called the deal an "astonishing transfer of autonomy and authority to the government," raising concerns about academic independence and the future of free expression on campus.
Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight institute, told USA TODAY that the administration’s actions represent a "sweeping assault on the First Amendment" and warned that capitulation by one institution could make it harder for others to resist similar pressures. Columbia Journalism School and the Columbia Journalism Review both issued statements defending First Amendment principles in March 2025, following the detainment of Mahmoud Khalil. Interim Columbia University President Claire Shipman, however, insisted that "Columbia’s governance remains in our control" and that "the federal government will not dictate what we teach, who teaches, or which students we admit."
Within Columbia, the situation has been described as "clarifying" by some journalism students, who see firsthand the vital role of the press in turbulent times. Dean Jelani Cobb, who also heads the Columbia Journalism Review, called the university’s deal with the Trump administration "the most pragmatic move" available, while acknowledging the "harsh terrain" the university must now navigate. Senior lecturer Anya Schiffrin noted a "climate of self-censorship" among student journalists, but also pointed to the increased commitment to education about academic freedom and free speech.
As "The Encampments" draws to a close, it issues a call to action: stand up for justice and truth, regardless of the consequences. Macklemore’s lyrics echo this sentiment: "What if you were in Gaza? What if those were your kids? If the West was pretendin' that you didn't exist, you'd want the world to stand up and the students finally did." For those who missed the Rutgers screening, the documentary is available for rent or purchase, and the Center for Security, Race and Rights continues to host events that challenge, educate, and inspire.
The events of 2025 have left an indelible mark on American campuses, forcing a reckoning with questions of protest, academic freedom, and the boundaries of government oversight. As students, faculty, and administrators alike grapple with these challenges, the stories told in "The Encampments" and the debates they spark will shape the future of higher education and civic life for years to come.