University students assembled at Alma Mater this afternoon, calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza War and for the University to divest from arms manufacturers supplying weapons to Israel. The protest was organized by the University’s Amnesty International chapter.
The protestors hung a sign from Alma’s shoulders reading, “How many deaths until UIUC divests?” Demonstrators could be heard chanting, “No more money for Israel’s crimes!” and “What do we want? Divestment! When do we want it? Now!”
The group handed out slips of paper saying the University invests in Boeing Co., Raytheon, Caterpillar Inc., Northrop Grumman and Elbit Systems. The paper stated these companies’ weapons have been used by the Israeli military to attack and kill civilians in Palestine and Lebanon.
“We strongly support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with no restrictions on humanitarian aid,” a representative of the group said. “We also feel it is our duty as the student organization of Amnesty to allow students to speak their minds, especially at a time when students at Columbia University and others are not being allowed to.”
Columbia University previously suspended their school’s Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace chapters for “repeated violations of university policy,” and this week, Columbia president Minouche Shafik requested assistance from the NYPD to remove protestors who had assembled a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ on the university’s campus. NYPD arrested over 100 protesters for trespassing, who were subsequently suspended by Columbia.
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In early 2020, the Illinois Student Council passed a non-binding resolution that called for the University to divest from Elbit Systems, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The Office of Student Affairs condemned the resolution.
“Amnesty believes that the international community has an obligation to act against injustices, particularly in Palestine,” the representative said. “We are also trying to give a platform to different speakers, from Amnesty or not, especially Palestinians in our community.”
Tensions in the Middle East are rising rapidly after reports of an Israeli attack on Iranian territory late Thursday. The Israeli strike was in retaliation to an Iranian air attack on Israel’s territory last week, which itself was in retaliation to Israel bombing the Iranian consulate in Syria in early April.
“We demand that the university severs ties with companies complicit in violations of human rights,” the representative said. “Our stand is clear: How many more must suffer before our school acts?”
