U of Minnesota walk out for Palestine
Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday, October 24 at noon, 350 University of Minnesota students walked out of class to join a rally organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), in front of the Coffman Memorial Union. They gathered to demand an end to the siege on Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel’s genocidal actions. A die-in occurred during which Palestinian students read the names of Palestinian victims of Israel's violence and ended with a moment of silence.
Rallies across the globe for Palestinian justice have increased in the last couple of weeks in response to the heightened Zionist violence in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including thousands mobilizing in Minneapolis alone and multiple events on the UMN’s campus, including a vigil the previous week organized by SJP.
Protests and activism for a free Palestine have been as consistent as Israel's aggression as had the U.S.’s complicity.
A member of SJP asked, “How many more hospitals need to be blown up? How many more houses need to get demolished? How many more families must find their child under the rubble of their own homes? How much money does the U.S. need to fund the Israeli military?”
Along with mass fear tactics, the Western media has assisted in peddling numerous lies about Palestinian resistance and Israel's actions while silencing Palestinian leaders both in Gaza and across the globe. For example, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis banned all SJP groups from Florida state universities, just the day before the UMN walkout.
In response to the media lies, Palestinians in Gaza have taken to social media to share their experiences and the reality of what is happening on the ground. A list of these incredible accounts can be found on UMN’s SJP Instagram (@sjpumn.)
A SDS member stated, “It is also important to note that this propaganda is not a new thing. U.S. aggression, especially in these parts of the world, has a history of lies that are made up to justify genocide and racist murder. These are the same forces that have an interest in the U.S. support of Israel, not the interest of the Palestinian people.”
The U.S. and the University of Minnesota continue to fund the genocide of Palestinian people, and in response organizers across Minneapolis vow to continue calling for Palestinian justice.
Other groups represented at the rally were the Anti-War Committee, Students for Climate Justice, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Students for Socialist Revolution.