On-campus student group dedicated to activism wins for second consecutive year
By JALAN TEHRANIFAR — features@theaggie.org
For the second consecutive year, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has been named UC Davis’ Best Student-run Organization or Club — an award that comes as no surprise to many on campus given the group’s consistent presence, powerful organizing and unwavering commitment to Palestinian liberation.
The board members of the Students for Justice in Palestine organization are thankful for the recognition they have received from the UC Davis community.
“We are honored to receive this acknowledgement and humbled to be held to the high esteem of our peers,” the SJP board said. “This acknowledgment is not ours alone — it belongs to everyone who continues to show up, speak out and do the vital work in their communities. It is their dedication that shapes who we are.”
Over the course of the 2024-25 academic year, SJP led some of the most prominent political organizing efforts at UC Davis. From packed rallies on the Quad to the multi-week encampment known as the Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine (PULP), the organization has galvanized students around issues of global justice and university accountability.
Their advocacy, however, goes far beyond protest. Throughout the year, SJP hosted film screenings, teach-ins and informational panels aimed at educating students on the historical and ongoing occupation of Palestine. They also continued to call out the University of California system’s financial ties to companies profiting from violence against Palestinians — pressuring administrators to divest and pushing for transparency in how student tuition is spent.
Much of their work this year focused on the university’s inaction following the demands of the encampment. Though student organizers faced harassment from outside agitators and endured extreme heat, they remained committed to the cause, ultimately donating food and supplies from the site to unhoused communities in Davis and Sacramento when the encampment ended.
SJP’s activism has drawn support from across coalitions. At an Oct. 7, 2024 rally, hundreds gathered alongside other student groups to protest UC ties to military contractors and to call out Chancellor Gary May’s involvement with Leidos, a company with defense contracts linked to Israel. The rally, which was met by a small but vocal counter-protest, highlighted the charged atmosphere on campus — and SJP’s central role in shaping it.
Despite the challenges, the group continues to expand its reach and influence, building solidarity with other student organizations and connecting Palestine’s liberation to broader struggles across the globe.
“We must remember that our accomplishments are collective ones,” the SJP board said. “Yet, our work is never over, our struggle is slight compared to our brothers and sisters in Palestine. We will continue to be an educational and supportive community for those interested in the Palestinian cause. Palestine is our compass and we will continue our work until a liberated Palestine.”
SJP’s back-to-back recognition as Best Student-run Organization or Club reflects not just the passion of its members, but the shifting landscape of student politics at UC Davis.
Written by: Jalan Tehranifar — features@theaggie.org
