Tampa students march in solidarity with Palestine, fight for BDS
Tampa, FL – Students at the University of South Florida demonstrated their opposition to the ongoing bombing of Gaza on Thursday, October 26. 75 students representing a slew of organizations marched across campus from a busy intersection across from the administrative building, over to a plaza near the student center, chanting “Free Palestine” and “Hey USF you can’t hide! You are funding genocide!”
The rally was organized to bring attention to the boycott, divest, sanction campaign to target Israel in its ongoing occupation and has been organized by the Palestinian solidarity movement. Florida is one of many states that has laws banning participation in the BDS campaign. USF invests heavily in companies that participate in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The rally had been called before an announcement by Governor Ron DeSantis banning Students for Justice in Palestine chapters from Florida universities, which would include the chapter that exists at USF. Students were angered by the outright political repression from the state government.