University of Oregon’s Students for Justice in Palestine organized a march and rally today, starting at Johnson Hall and ending in the Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater.
Protesters began outside of Johnson Hall, which they unofficially named “Alareer Hall,” and moved into the first floor of the EMU to the Fishbowl and ended their protest inside the EMU Amphitheater.
SJP Co-director Salem Younes, SJP Co-director Salem Khoury and a member of SJP gave speeches in which they addressed their want for divestment of the university’s fund, the ongoing attacks in the Israel-Hamas war and performed a demonstration in the Fishbowl where protestors began to lie on the floor to commemorate the Palestinians who have passed away.
“So much money comes from our university to bombs and weapons,” Younes said. “Your tuition is murdering people overseas…Nothing more should outrage you. You are paying to learn and instead, they’re taking your money to teach half-ass classes and kill people.”
At 2:15 p.m., the protestors marched to the first floor of the EMU and Younes gave a speech focused on the recent attacks by Israel in Lebanon and the ban that Israel had put on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
“[The UNRWA] is the unsanctioned support group supposedly for Palestinian people and the very organization that created the state of Israel,” Younes said. “This should tell you about the genocidal power that the leaders in Israel believe that they hold and are letting on to the world.”
Protestors then began to march to the Fishbowl at 2:25 p.m. where they lay on the ground to resemble dead bodies while Younes and two members of SJP recited chants in Arabic.
A UOPD officer arrived on the scene at 2:32 p.m. and observed the demonstration.
The protestors then began to march to the Amphitheater where Khoury gave a speech about the university’s funds to Israel, the UNRWA and their departure from the UO to Portland State University, beginning next week.
“I tried going to this university, I tried. Not only was the administration heavily racist, heavily bigoted, I was taught anything other than the truth in my classes,” Khoury said. “But it ultimately failed me and many other Palestinians.”
Khoury emphasized that they and the protestors will not back down until “the struggle is lifted.”
“We will be here until the struggle is lifted and Palestinians can recollect themselves and reform a society,” Khoury said. “We will never back down, we will never bow our heads and we will never say yes to occupation.”