Minneapolis, MN – On October 31, students at Washburn High School in south Minneapolis held a walk-out for Palestine. Around 50 students, primarily Muslim girls, walked out of class of the public high school at 1:30 p.m. After walking out the front doors with signs in hand they marched through the neighborhood chanting “Free free Palestine!” The march was met with honks of approval by cars driving by and eventually ended a few blocks away at Fuller Park.

Upon arriving at Fuller Park, the student protesters held a moment of silence for the Palestinian lives lost from Israeli violence. The organizers of the event opened up the microphone to any students who wished to speak on the ongoing violence in Palestine. Many students were grieving over the levels of violence they’ve seen online, making connections to the children and fellow students thousands of miles away who’ve had their lives stolen from them by the occupation. Some students read personal accounts of the violence from Palestinian students inside of Gaza.

Students made their demands clear for an end to the genocide and occupation, not just discussing Gaza but the West Bank as well. Emcees and speakers pointed out that the conflict did not on October 7, but began many decades ago. One young woman stated, “This isn’t about religion. This is about being human. It’s about humanity.”

One impassioned speaker, with tear-filled eyes, led the students in a chant shouting, “Genocide is not okay! Children's lives were taken away!” But with clear grief in the crowd, there was also hope and calls to action. The students see themselves as the future. Organizers and other students alike cheered with a call to show up for other protests in the city, and to continue to stand with Palestine.

#MinneapolisMN #FreePalestine