A crowd of about 100 UF students was confronted by several police officers Thursday night for “Day of Resistance,” an informational lecture hosted by three UF organizations about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. They remained protected in and around Turlington’s classroom.
Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Islam on Campus (IOC), and the Arab Student Association (ASA) will host a discussion “Day of Resistance”, with national chapters of SPJ taking it as a demonstration to all university campuses around the world. declared. That Instagram.
University journalism senior and IOC president Omar Ateja, 22, said the three organizations worked together to organize the event in hopes of informing students about the country’s history.
“We decided it was very important to educate people about the decades of oppression that Palestinians have experienced,” he said.
During his presentation, Mr. Ateya spoke about the progress of the war between Israel and Palestine and emphasized the need for resistance to “settler colonialism and apartheid.”
Presenters drew historical connections between current conflicts and the Trail of Tears in the United States and apartheid in South Africa. Other students emphasized the difference between Zionism and anti-Semitism. Build systems of oppression. And advertising.
Students like Daleen Abukhalil, 19, a second-year civil engineering student, said they attended the recital in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance.
“I came here to support the Palestinians regarding the human rights violations that are occurring in Gaza,” she said. “Liberate Palestine”
Matthew Boughton, 18, a freshman computer science and mathematics student at the University of Florida, attended the event and expressed concern about the country’s vulnerability. He said some of his friends are from Palestine and he is worried about their families.
“There’s a lot of propaganda going on, but I hope that people can better understand the situation and understand that all lives matter,” he said.
Boughton believes the media should also work on compiling the history of the conflict so that students can understand different perspectives on the situation.
“I hope people will understand more about the 70-year-old conflict that is going on right now,” he said.
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The speech came after a candlelight vigil in support of Israel from Hamas on Monday night, which descended into panic after miscommunication among the crowd.
On Tuesday, the university’s president, Ben Sasse, sent an email to Jewish alumni condemning Hamas and asking them to ensure campus security in case of possible violent anti-Israel protests. SJP and ASA directors said they had not heard any speeches from Mr. Sass about the war.
To contact Nicole, nbeltran@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @nicolebeltg.
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Nicole Beltran is a second-year journalism and economics major and a reporter for the University and Caiman Desk. In his free time, he enjoys reading, journaling, and watching musicals.