Tacoma WA – On Tuesday, April 23, over 150 students and faculty members from Tacoma School of the Arts, University of Washington Tacoma, and University of Puget Sound walked out of classes at 10:30 a.m. They rallied at Tollefson Plaza to demonstrate student solidarity with Palestine and demand that the United States of America divest from Israel.

Students for a Democratic Society chapters SOTA SDS, UPS SDS, and UWT PSU collaborated to organize the walkout and rally, joining over 25 other schools participating in walking out and protesting on campuses all over Washington State.

The students and faculty were joined by community members, providing the protesters with signs, a Palestinian flag, and sidewalk chalk. After a round of chanting, the intended program commenced, featuring speakers from SOTA SDS and UPS SDS.

Xanat Romo, a member of SOTA SDS, who also led chants for the event, began her speech explaining the history of Israel’s occupation of Palestine, clearing up common misconceptions. Romo stated, “If you take away anything from this event, I want it to be about the power of solidarity. We are all connected in struggle. We are all oppressed by the same powers. The goal is not just Palestinian liberation, but liberation for all peoples.”

A member of SOTA SDS, Ryder Owen, followed Romo’s speech, saying, “We’re watching America fall, the curtain has opened and we the people see what they're doing. We see them for their fallacies, their propaganda, and their lies. We refuse to be complacent, to watch and not utter a single word, because what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

More speeches and rounds of chanting followed. Protesters cheered as cars drove by, honking in support, As the rally began wrapping up, students wrote pro-Palestine messages all over the asphalt of the plaza and marched back to their school buildings.

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