Participants of the demonstration Javell Sheppard
Calls for an end to the violence occurring in Palestine echoed across campus on Nov. 8 as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) led their second demonstration.
The second demonstration began in the diner at noon, with a minute of silence for the over 11,200 Palestinian lives lost due to the genocide of Palestinians.
Participants then dipped their fingers in red paint and placed their mark upon poster boards with photographs of companies and figures, such as Starbucks, who support Israel as a reminder that the genocide of Palestinians is funded by American tax dollars.
“We are tired, tired of having to constantly advocate for the basic right of life for our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Tired of witnessing the suffering, the pain, and the loss that continues to haunt them day after day,” voiced SJP President Jena Kanaan in her opening speech.
“We are tired of seeing children robbed of their innocence, of families torn apart, and of entire communities left in ruins and despair. We are tired of having to defend the simple, undeniable truth that Palestinians are human beings who have the inherent right to life and dignity,” Kanaan continued.
Majid Matariyeh, SJP Treasurer, discussed the increase of the loss of life in Palestine since the first demonstration on Oct. 18.
Between the previous demonstration and the second demonstration, the death toll had risen from 4,500 to over 10,800. That number has since risen to over 11,200 deaths.
The notion that the world would be destroyed not by the people committing the actions, but by the people who are staying silent regarding the actions was highlighted in Matariyeh’s speech.
Matariyeh also voiced that “a human life is a human life. We are not allowed to dictate who can live and who can die.”
Later in the opening speeches, SJP Vice President Nibal Sarabta shared some final statements of “martyrs and their families. Hello, my name is Zahra. I held my baby in Gaza today. I held his cold and lifeless body in my arms and did not want to let go,” she read.
Yasmean Abdullah, SJP Media Design Coordinator, rounded out the opening speeches by discussing the death toll in Palestine, emphasizing that “4,104 of those were children, with many of those still trapped beneath the rumbles.”
Abdullah finished her speech by leaving participants with the statement “In our lifetime, this isn’t the end, this is just the beginning. Equality, Freedom, and justice for all people, always, everywhere.”
Participants were then led outside of the Warde Academic Center(WAC), where they chanted sayings such as “Free Free Palestine”, “Not another nickel not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes”, and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
Upon reaching Mary’s Circle, SJP board members and participants of the demonstration engaged in a sit-in. A sit-in is a form of protest in which members of a demonstration stay in one place until their demands are met.
Treasurer Dalia Ihmud discussed President Joe Biden’s statement saying that the United States stands with Israel. Ihmud clarified that the use of “we” does not represent everyone.
The demonstration continued around the back of WAC to the Mercy Ministry Center and ended on the main steps of WAC.
Here, Abdullah thanked attendees and Kanaan advertised their “Know Your Rights As An Activist” event which would occur the following week, on Nov. 13 in the Wiseman Lounge.
“Let’s continue to always stand in solidarity and send a powerful testament to the world that we will never ever turn a blind eye to the sufferings of the people in Palestine,” stated Kanaan as she ended the demonstration upon the steps of the main entrance.
Kanaan continued,“We will never stop until we all are free and people of Gaza, we promise we will never forget your names. We will never forget your stories and we will never forget your beautiful faces. Thank you.”
Kanaan noted that the request for a second demonstration was submitted in an act of urgency. A demonstration form was submitted and then members of the SJP board met with the Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator Keith O’Neill to “discuss the logistics and to ensure the safety of our participants with the presence of public safety,” stated Kanaan.
O’Neill expressed that he met with Kanaan, and “the form was submitted and we were able to discuss any logistics and program content. Space and additional resources (Public Safety, audio equipment, etc.) were then confirmed.”
Matariyeh added that the process of getting the second demonstration approved was similar to the process for the first demonstration, and added that it “was a lot more simpler this time around since we had proven that we are responsible and have a really good idea of how to do a protest.”
Once the demonstration was approved, it was listed as an official event on TheDen where students could be made aware of the demonstration and RSVP for it.
The second demonstration did not have as many participants as the first demonstration, though Matariyeh expressed that the difference was due to weather conditions.
According to Kanaan, over 150 individuals participated in the second demonstration.
O’Neill stated that one “perspective on the importance of any demonstration is that students feel strongly about raising awareness of a topic within their community. Students planning this demonstration did an excellent job of considering the campus policies and procedures that — when used correctly — supported them in a very successful and effective event.”
“It is imperative that we continue to show up and show out, using our voices, until the rights of Palestinians are recognized”, emphasized Kanaan.
Future events can be found on SJP’s page on TheDen.
About Post Author
