KYLE GARCIA TAKATA | SENIOR STAFF
THE DAILY CALIFORNIAN NEWS STAFF | STAFF
OCTOBER 17, 2023
Following a week of escalation in the latest Israel-Hamas war, with increasing airstrikes in the Gaza region and the mass evacuation of Palestinians, hundreds of students and community members gathered peacefully in front of Sather Gate at noon Monday calling for a free Palestine.
Protestors, many masked and dressed in colors of the Palestinian flag, rallied around speakers and blockaded Sather Gate. The three-hour protest alternated between speeches and chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “resistance is justified when people are occupied.”
Around 30 counter-protestors were also present, silently holding Israeli flags and signs with messages of solidarity with Israel. The counter-protesters were separated from the larger group by Allied Universal security personnel, who monitored the protest for safety.
Safety concerns have been widespread for both communities throughout the past week, following doxxing, online harassment and altercations during a demonstration Oct. 10.
The protest drew groups from across the campus community — the League of Filipino Students, Afghan students and Jewish students in support of Palestine expressed solidarity with the community through various signs and speeches.
Speakers engaged the group for the larger part of the three hours. They criticized the presentation of the Israel-Hamas war in mainstream media and drew distinctions between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. The protest’s purpose was not to promote violence and terrorism, they noted, but to continue fighting for a liberated Palestine and against the “threat of genocide.”
Speakers also rejected statements sent by campus and the University of California over the past week, noting opposition to the “political language” of the statements, and demanded representation of Palestinians at the campus administrative level, requesting that the chancellor publicly recognize the Palestinian community.
In response to the Israel-Hamas war, escalation of student activism and safety concerns on campus, campus faculty also signed a statement Monday condemning the violence and offering sympathy “to Israelis and to Jews worldwide.”
The statement has been signed by more than 250 faculty from various fields as of press time and recirculated by Berkeley Hillel.
“It is possible simultaneously to condemn unequivocally what occurred this weekend for the barbarism it was and to advocate for justice for Palestinians,” the faculty statement reads. “We mourn all loss of life and security in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and we pray for a swift resolution to the current violence and return of the hostages.”
Toward the end of the afternoon, supporters for Israel gathered in a smaller circle apart from the larger crowd, singing the Israeli national anthem and chanting “the nation of Israel lives.” They also lined up photos of civilians in Israel who were kidnapped over the past week.
At 3 p.m., protestors marched to Doe Library, where the protest concluded with a moment of silence for lost Palestinian lives and a call for the community to advocate for themselves.
“We live in a world that is fueled by the politicization of the lives of innocent Palestinians that are lost,” a speaker said. “Remember that Palestinians have a right to exist.”
Ananya Rupanagunta, Chanyoung Chung and Sandhya Ganesan contributed to this report.
Contact The Daily Californian News Staff at newsdesk@dailycal.org
LAST UPDATED
OCTOBER 18, 2023
