New Orleans healthcare workers condemn Tulane support for Israel, repression of protesters

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from representatives of New Orleans Healthcare Workers for Palestine. The letter was delivered to Tulane University President Michael Fitts and Medical School Dean Lee Hamm. Healthcare Workers for Palestine is a network of healthcare workers and professionals standing against the U.S.-funded and enabled genocide of the Palestinian people.

Dear President Fitts and Tulane Administration,

Included is an open letter signed by 67 healthcare workers from hospitals, clinics, community agencies, and various settings throughout New Orleans, condemning Tulane’s suppression of the peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment, demanding the reinstatement of students and faculty who were suspended, and promoting the demands of Tulane SDS.

In light of the upcoming court date for the peaceful protestors who were arrested, we have chosen today to deliver this letter to President Fitts in hopes that Tulane will withdraw their support from the prosecution of our community members. We will be publicly releasing Tulane’s response to this letter, which we expect prior to the May 31st court date.

We look forward to your prompt response, and further discussion of the critical need for divestment and immediate ceasefire.

Sincerely,

Healthcare Workers for Palestine – NOLA

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Healthcare Workers for Palestine – New Orleans Condemns Tulane’s Ties to Apartheid Israel and Violent Suppression of Peaceful Protest

On April 29, in opposition to the occupation of Palestine, Tulane and Loyola students began a Palestine Solidarity Encampment centered around demands for university divestment from corporations supplying arms to Israel, institutional protection for Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian students, and more.

The encampment became a space where students, alumni, and community gathered to grieve, make art and music, pray together across religions, and support one another. In response – Tulane University called in the police. At 3am on May 1, more than 100 NOPD and Louisiana State Police – including a militarized SWAT team – arrived and began to push, threaten, and shove students and violently disassembled the encampment. In total, 22 were arrested; and 2 participants had to seek medical care – one is suffering from a concussion, the other from bruising and swelling on their back and shoulders after being thrown to the ground by officers.

Tulane has suspended 8 students for participating in the encampment, and retaliated against staff, including one of HCWP’s own. This repressive and retaliatory response by Tulane has prompted wide condemnation from various diverse university, religious, and civic groups, including Jewish Leaders, Artist and Cultural groups, Tulane Faculty, and more.

HCW for Palestine joins these voices in condemning Tulane’s repressive response and the brutality of the police against an unarmed encampment. As healthcare workers, we oppose these actions that endanger life and that punish those who speak up for human rights.

● We demand the reinstatement of faculty and students who’ve been suspended

● We demand that Tulane support the demands of Tulane SDS:

● Divest from Israeli corporations that supply arms, fuel or technology to Israel

● Disclose the annual investments of its endowment beginning with 2023

● Cut all ties with Israeli Universities, including cancelling “Birthright” trips to occupied Palestine

● Publicly state support for the City Council of New Orleans to pass a Ceasefire Resolution

● Provide institutional protection for Arab and Palestinian students

We know that the brutality faced by protestors who stand up against universities working to silence us is only a tiny echo of the extreme violence that civilians face in Palestine every day. With over 35,000 people martyred, over 79,000 injured, and 1.1 million facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, we must continue to push local institutions to stand by their supposed values and stop supporting genocide.

As Healthcare Workers, our ethical and professional commitments compel us to expressly condemn Israel’s genocidal violence against Gaza and the US institutions who fund and sanction this violence.

In solidarity,

Sophie Barker, Healthcare Sustainability

Amy Wolfe, MD

Hakm Murad, Biomedical Engineer

Meeta Prakash, MD, resident

Sam King, LCSW-BACS

Alex Jaouiche, MPH, Public Health Professional

Eman Toraih, Faculty

Gita Chadalawada , DO, DIMPH

Zayd Sifri, LCSW / Psychotherapist

Tina McCrory , Speech Language Pathologist CCC- SLP

Caide Bier, Genetic counseling assistant

River Hollows, MS, LPC

Mohamed Shama, Assistant Professor of Surgery

Adriane Butler, RN

Julie Norman, LCSW

Alaa Malik, Student

Lindsey Boettinger, OT

Theresa Dempsey, MPH—community health worker Luke Kikukawa, Research Technician

Hanna Tadevich, PLPC, Psychotherapist

Reuben Mathew, MD MSPH/ Resident Physician Emily Schumacher, LPC, ATR Therapist private practice Daniella Cherner, BSPH, EMT

Liora Diamond, LPC

Emily Blau, BSN

Fahad Faheem, MA/ Medical Assistant

Matt Griffin, Registered Nurse

Amanda Tonkovich, LCSW

Maria Peralta, RN

Maryum K. Ijaz, MD

Kathryn Stephenson, LPC

Dana Walker, MD

Aimee Terrio, Radiologic Technologist

Sloane, Occupational therapist

Madeline Chenevert, Laboratory Technologist, (MB, ASCP) Stephanie

Carolyn Mayes, RN

MJ Hebert, school social work intern

Madeline Mayes, Speech language pathologist

Cypress Atlas, PLPC, NCC / Therapist

Olivia Mancing, LMSW, MPH/ social worker and researcher Andres Mendez, Masters in Public Health & Tropical Medicine Tabinda Qamar, Resident Physician

Caylie Sadin, Resident

Will Boles, Family Medicine Resident

Haripriya Madabushi, Pediatrics resident

Claire Mehling, LPC

Abby Mowen, Medical student

Joanna Dubinsky, Physician Assistant

Brett Phillips, Pediatrician

Sana Fujimura, MD/Resident

Stephanie Shea, Resident

Shaden Murad, Md

Ramzi Shalby, MD

Ida, LPC

Claudia Norton, LCSW

Lindsey Howell, BS in Psychology, Psychometric Rater Madeline Mayes, Speech-language pathologist

Brianna Jones, NCC

Liora Diamond, LPC

Impana Murthy, Medical Student

Christy Mo, Medical student

Effie Michot, Licensed midwife

Mahum Riaz, Medical Scribe

Mack Guillory, Medical Student

Jessi, LPC graduate student

Emmet Bannon, Administrative Assistant, College of Nursing and Health

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