Students hold demonstration for Israel Apartheid Week
Panels of protest that took place on the Main Quad on Monday.
April 9, 2018
A group of students gathered on the Main Quad on Monday to demonstrate support for the Palestinian cause in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Students at the demonstration put up “walls” made out of several wooden panels, each one painted with quotes and writings that illustrated the group’s main concerns.
Ahlam Khatiz, freshman in LAS and treasurer of Students for Justice in Palestine, said the “wall” is intended to symbolize the apartheid wall that separates Israel and Palestine.
Dunia Ghanimah, sophomore in LAS and president of Students for Justice in Palestine, said each panel that makes up the “wall” demonstrates something the group thinks needs to be brought to attention.
Ghanimah said some panels include quotes and others include facts about the displacement and treatment of Palestinian people.
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Khatiz said the purpose of the demonstration is to bring awareness to the displacement, killing and imprisonment of Palestinians.
The third panel features an illustration of Ahed Tamimi, a 17-year-old Palestinian who was arrested by Israeli law enforcement. Ghanimah said around 99 percent of children in military courts are convicted, and many are victims of torture.
One of the panels showcases a comparison between Ferguson, Missouri and Palestine, Ghanimah said.
Ghanimah said when Gaza was attacked, its residents used tactics to protect against tear gas. When the protests in Ferguson occurred, citizens of Gaza tweeted out to those in Ferguson on how to use those tactics.
“A lot of people come up to us and ask questions like ‘what is this?’ and that is our perfect point,” she said. “That is all we want: to tell someone about the situation, what is happening.”
