St. Kate’s students hold protest for Palestine
Cover image credit: Kate Churchill
By Ella Tracy
Students marched around St. Kate’s on Oct. 25 and Nov. 2, citing the ongoing genocidal violence as reason to call for a stop to American support of Israel. Calls to “Ceasefire Now” and “Free Palestine” echoed across campus.
Note: Numerous safety concerns have been brought to the attention of The Wheel. Pro-Israel online groups have publicly doxed the names and faces of students calling for a ceasefire or showing support for Palestine, labeling such action as antisemitism. To protect their safety and privacy, the names of students who participated in the marches will not be included in this article.
Many students protested with signs, such as these two reading, “Free Palestine till it’s backwards” and a quote from the Prophet Muhammad: “Beware of the supplication of the oppressed for there is no veil between it and Allah.”
While students gathered, speakers led chants like “Free Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Chants also demanded that U.S. President Joe Biden immediately withhold military funding from Israel.
Apartheid is a collection of policies that are systematically discriminatory against people of a specific race or ethnicity. Protest leaders said that, for decades, the Israeli government has reinforced apartheid by dehumanizing Palestinian people and forcing them into extremely restricted land like Gaza. According to the United Nations, apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel disputes that it forced Palestinians from Israeli land in the war that followed the declaration of the creation of Israel in 1948.
Protesters gathered in front of Derham Hall, where speakers recounted personal stories with Israeli apartheid and key facts from the genocide. Since Oct. 7, the Israeli military has bombed hospitals, schools, churches, residences and escape routes while cutting off access to water, food, electricity and internet. Protestors pointed out that by UN standards, these are war crimes. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that a “ceasefire will not happen.” Israel’s bombing has come as a response to Hamas’s attack on the state, including violence at a music festival and the taking of hostages. Protest handouts stated that the violence was motivated by the occupation of Palestinian homeland and the ongoing oppression of Palestinians in the area. This article from CBS News lists several likely reasons for the Hamas attack, although it notably does not discuss a history of colonization or undermining of rights.
Students marching across campus while holding another sign reading, “Save lives now. Ceasefire.”
A student’s sign reading, “We mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living.” The UN reported based on the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Palestine that at least 8,800 Palestinian people have been killed, many of which are children. More than 1,400 people have died in Israel, as reported by the Qatari state-owned Al Jazeera news platform reiterating numbers provided by Israeli Medical Services.
Since the time of publication Israel has revised the death count from the Oct. 7 attacks, lowering it to an estimated 1,200.
On Nov. 2, students marched around the perimeter of campus while demanding a ceasefire. Credit: Kate Churchill
The sign reads, “Stop the Genocide. We want peace for Palestine.”
A protestor’s sign saying, “Ceasefire now.”
The sign reads, “You don’t need to be Muslim to stand up for Palestine, you just need to be human.” Credit: Kate Churchill
Students heard from several speakers on the steps of The O’Shaughnessy. Personal narratives and calls to continued action were the primary messages.
Students spoke about boycotting corporations like Starbucks, which protesters explained has enabled the genocide by suing their workers union for tweeting a message that said, “Solidarity with Palestine!”
A sign reading, “Jesus was a Palestinian.”
A student’s sign that says, “SCU for Palestine.”
Speakers encouraged students to call their legislators to demand an immediate ceasefire and divestment of the Israeli military.
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Conflict between Israel and Palestine is not new. Student protestors also provided handouts that advocate for a ceasefire by explaining what is currently happening in Gaza and misconceptions regarding the conflict, largely from a pro-Palestine perspective.
