Another Pro-Palestine demonstration on a Colorado campus with the vulgar chant, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
Colorado State University students took to the Lory Student Center Plaza in a "Free Palestine Protest.” This is the second of its kind on the CSU campus in response to the recent Hamas attacks on Israel.
About 50 students and community members gathered, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans such as "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." The protest was organized to call for a ceasefire and condemn U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict.
(Collegian/Allie Seibel)
According to some of the protestors, their involvement in the demonstration goes beyond simply supporting Palestine. Vinny Purrier, a student attending the protest, was quoted saying, "I think it's really impressive to see how concerned the population here at Colorado State University is about an issue like Palestine and Israel."
The group also aimed to spread awareness and educate others on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Student Lanae Fox expressed that, as predominantly white institution, it was important for people to be aware of injustices happening around the world.
To raise funds for Palestine war efforts, students sold sugar cookies before the demonstration, according to the Rocky Mountain Collegian.
Shiraz, one of the organizers of the protest, explained that they wanted to provide a reliable source for donations, as many may be hesitant to donate to other organizations due to concerns of scams.
(Collegian/Allie Seibel)
"We honestly want to reach anyone, especially college students, because we're going to be the next generation leading everything," Fox said, emphasizing the importance of spreading awareness and creating a group of people ready to make a change.
One student, who identified as Jewish, even participated in the demonstration, holding a sign that read, "This Jew says ceasefire now." Piper spoke about their decision to join the protest, stating that it was a worthy cause and that "if there is a red line anywhere, it's here."
However, not all students on the CSU campus were in support of the Free Palestine Protest.
Two students stood across from the demonstration, holding Israeli flags in a counterdemonstration. One of them, Bradley Berman, spoke about their purpose in being there, saying, "(We're out here to show) that there are Jews on campus."
(Collegian/Allie Seibel)
Throughout the protest, attendees reiterated that their aim was for peace and that they did not support violence against individuals.
Ayan Abukar, a student who helped organize the event, stressed the need for a ceasefire and emphasized the impact the conflict has on innocent civilians, particularly children.
The protest remained peaceful, and according to Shiraz, being pro-Palestine does not equate to being anti-Semitic. They shared their personal connection to Palestine, being born and raised there, and explained that their support for Palestine goes beyond any religious or ethnic affiliation.
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As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, it is uplifting to see young students actively engaged in global issues and advocating for peace. Hopefully, their voices will be heard, and the conflict will come to an end, bringing peace and stability to the region.
It’s become apparent that young people now arrive at elite colleges with the assumption that not only will they be seen, heard and meticulously cared for, but also that their own politics will broadly align with those of the institutions they have chosen to attend. They have been given little reason to think otherwise.