History of Nerdeen Kiswani in Timeline

Nerdeen Kiswani is a prominent Palestinian-American activist known for her pro-Palestine advocacy. She co-founded and chairs Within Our Lifetime, an activist group based in New York City. Kiswani has been a key figure in organizing and leading protests, particularly during the Gaza War, including demonstrations at Columbia University and those concerning Mahmoud Khalil's detention. Her activism, which also includes her past role as president of CUNY's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, has earned her recognition as an influential figure in inspiring pro-Palestine movements, especially among students in the United States.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1994: Nerdeen Kiswani Born

Around 1994, Nerdeen Kiswani was born in Jordan. She later grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, which has a large Arab and Palestinian community.

June 2015: Prevented from Visiting Family

In June 2015, due to her activism with NYC SJP, Israeli security forces prevented Kiswani from visiting her family in the West Bank. She has credited her desire to return to Palestine as a motivation for her activism.

November 2015: Led "Zionists out of CUNY!" chant

In November 2015, at a protest against tuition increases, Kiswani led students in chanting: "Zionists out of CUNY!" The slogan was cited as antisemitic. CUNY later found that SJP was not guilty of antisemitism.

June 2016: Completed Undergraduate Degree

In June 2016, Kiswani completed her undergraduate degree at CUNY.

2018: NYC SJP Renamed Within Our Lifetime

In 2018, NYC Students for Justice in Palestine was renamed Within Our Lifetime (WOL).

2022: Graduation Speech Controversy

In 2022, Kiswani's graduation speech, as the elected speaker, criticized the US and Israel. CUNY Law removed the speech from their website and stopped allowing student-elected commencement speakers after SAFE CUNY criticized the speech, alleging CUNY was unsafe for Jewish people.

October 2023: CAIR Lawsuit Against NYPD

In October 2023, Kiswani became part of a CAIR lawsuit against the NYPD for their conduct during Gaza war protests.

2023: Organized Protest at Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

In 2023, Kiswani organized a protest at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in response to the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, Palestine.

February 2024: Arrested at Columbia University Protest

In February 2024, Kiswani was arrested while protesting outside Columbia University.

February 2024: Instagram Accounts Shut Down

In February 2024, the Instagram accounts for WOL and Kiswani were shut down because, according to Meta, they had violated its rules against promoting "dangerous organizations or individuals".

June 2024: Accusations of Police Brutality and Removal of Hijab

Following a June 2024 protest at the Brooklyn Museum, Hyperallergic and Democracy Now! reported that the NYPD tackled Kiswani and removed her hijab.

June 2024: Controversial Speech at Nova Music Festival Massacre Exhibit

In June 2024, at a protest outside a Nova music festival massacre exhibit, Kiswani gave a speech referring to Nova as "the place where Zionists decided to rave next to a concentration camp", and called the exhibit "Zionist propaganda". Her protest was criticized as antisemitic, including by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

2024: Reference to Lebanon Electronic Device Attacks

In January 2025, the far-right Zionist group Betar tweeted that they would award $1800 to anyone who handed a pager to Kiswani, referencing the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks as a veiled death threat.

January 2025: Betar Tweeted Death Threat

In January 2025, the far-right Zionist group Betar tweeted that they would award $1800 to anyone who handed a pager to Kiswani, a veiled death threat referencing the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks.