Hundreds of students blocked off Hillsborough Street in a march from the Memorial Belltower to the state Capitol on Friday, Nov. 17 to demand an immediate end to U.S. aid for Israel and a ceasefire in the Gaza strip.
The protest was organized by the Arab Student Organization, the Young Democratic Socialists of America and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Jamal Mohamad, a fourth-year studying business administration and president of the Arab Student Organization, said the march was about bringing justice to Palestine and to pay homage to anti-Vietnam war protesters.
“Today was a symbolic protest,” Mohamad said. “In 1970, NC State did this march from the Belltower to the N.C. state Capitol in protest of anti-war for the Vietnam War. We protest to spread awareness. We protest for our politicians to hear us.”
Mohamad said the protest was not just about what national politicians need to do, but also for change on the state and local levels.
“We’re not just focused on the president,” Mohamad said. “We’re focused on a community level, and we see everything.”
Nick Pinto, a fifth-year studying genetics and president of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, said the protest was a way to get people more involved in showing support for Palestine.
“I think the point really is to show a message to Randy Woodson, Roy Cooper, Mary-Ann Baldwin and Joe Biden that students aren’t just going to fall in line,” Pinto said. “We have an independent voice, and we demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.”
Noor Hawa, an NC State alum, said she was marching to push for the U.S. government to demand a ceasefire.
“I’m joining my fellow NC State community members and pushing for our government to push for a ceasefire, to demand NC State to release a statement acknowledging the innocent lives lost in Gaza,” Hawa said. “I hope that NC State will acknowledge us.”
Pinto said the hope was to see NC State, the City of Raleigh and North Carolina release statements condemning Israel’s attacks in the Gaza strip.
“We hope to see the state of North Carolina divest from Israel and to stop sending any funding whatsoever to the state of Israel,” Pinto said.
The Arab Student Organization said this protest should not be portrayed as antisemitic. Mohamad said antisemitism, anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia should not be allowed on campus.
“That’s never the goal,” Mohamad said. “We are anti-genocide, anti-apartheid and anti-ethnic cleansing.”
Mohamad said education would solve issues regarding how people interpret the conflict.
“I think that with education, the proper education, we can eliminate all different kinds of racism,” Mohamad said. “The media is creating this divide of racism between these people that this conflict doesn’t represent whatsoever.”
Hawa said anti-Arab and antisemitic sentiment has been present on campus, and institutions need to ensure these communities feel safe.
“I think we’ve seen both,” Hawa said. “Islamophobia, anti-Arab violence, and antisemitism on the rise, … and NC State has a responsibility as a university, and the federal government has a responsibility, to protect all communities.”
