“Place de la Palestine” : A Report from the United Nations

By Tanya Gill and Rosie Moore

Students interested in the going-ons around Geneva should take some time from their day to visit an encampment set up next to the Place des Nations.

On 30 August 2025, a few civilians got together and set up the camp to put pressure on the international community regarding the recognition of a Palestinian State before the upcoming General Debate at the General Assembly of the United Nations on 23 September 2025. The goal? To flood the UN General Assembly.

The protesters  living at the encampment have listed four general demands from the international community: 

1. Ending the genocide in Gaza and guarantee safe passage for the global flotillas 
2. Immediate sanctions and arms embargo against the Zionist entity 
3. Decolonization of Palestine from the river to the sea 
4. Expulsion of all Western and colonial forces from the region

The encampment itself is global in its makeup, with people from countries such as France, Germany, Italy and India representing parts of its population. The atmosphere is both welcoming and vibrant with drinks and snacks on offer, and meals provided multiple times per day. 

While the encampment is a reaction to the General Assembly next week, differing opinions exist on the role of the United Nations in this conflict. One member stressed that the UN is still an imperialist institution that facilitates subjugation of  the Global South and therefore cannot be part of the decolonisation and liberation of Palestine. What can be agreed upon in the encampment, however, is the importance of international recognition of Palestine.

Music around campfires (which function as a heat source in these cooler Geneva nights) and Arabic classes are among some of the activities organised by members. There is even a massage therapist to help alleviate symptoms of sleeping on the ground for weeks. Mood around the camp remains positive despite recent cold nights, wind, and rainy weather.

Spending a day at the encampment offered the opportunity to hear many moving stories, encounter a variety of languages and observing the presence of diverse visitors who choose to enter the space. The diversity found in the camp is typical of International Geneva, with people of all ages and backgrounds coming together to stand for what they believe in and to create a warm atmosphere. Visitors are as diverse as the residents: Buddhist monks gathered in theological discussion, construction workers taking a break from work, and a steady stream of tourists and locals dropping in out of curiosity or solidarity.

Support for the encampment has taken many forms. Passersby express solidarity, some honking their car horns as they pass Place de la Palestine, others bringing food and groceries. Still, moments of hostility have surfaced. One member of the camp recalled an incident where firecrackers were thrown into the encampment, accompanied by shouted threats. Despite this, policing appears to be relatively hands off, with police officers observing but not attempting to disperse the camp.

When asked about the message they want to share with students in Geneva, one activist had a simple answer: engage more with non-students.

Students, they argued, are in a transitional space within the economy, neither fully workers nor entirely outside of labour. Yet, it is workers who have made the encampment possible by providing tents, food, and resources, and often after travelling long distances to be here. While students may study questions of decolonisation and resistance in theory, it is largely workers who have put these ideas into practice on the ground.

The encampment will culminate in a protest at the Place des Nations on 23 September 2025, to which all are welcome. All students are strongly encouraged to drop by the encampment in the meanwhile.