Colorado State University students and Fort Collins community members gathered in the Lory Student Center Plaza as part of a walkout on Friday, Nov. 17 to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and condemn the U.S. government’s financial involvement in the Israel-Hamas war.
CSU’s Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice in Palestine organized the demonstration in an effort to continue raising awareness on campus and to encourage students to speak out, organizer and MSA board member Shehab Elhaddad said.
“It is important for students to use their voices because in the modern world of politics, every voice matters,” Elhaddad said.
The crowd included members of the community as well. Entire families took part in the demonstration, chanting alongside students and other Fort Collins community members as they made their way across campus.
“I was not given a voice to not speak up. I was not given feet to not march for people who need it. I was not given hands to not call my senators, to not make a sign or hold up this heavy megaphone. All these things I was gifted with — why wouldn’t I use them for good?” –Shay Jennings, protester
Safety reminders were shared on social media prior to the event telling participants to stay hydrated throughout the demonstration and to take care of themselves and those around them in the moving crowd.
Organizers worked with the CSU Police Department to ensure the safety of protesters as they marched on campus. The route took them first through the LSC, then to The Oval and down Libbie Coy Way to Lake Street. They then walked down Center Avenue Mall, passing underneath Yates Hall and returning to The Plaza.
Speakers emphasized that their focus at the moment was the innocent lives affected by the conflict.
“We’re here for the humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza,” Elhaddad said in an address to the crowd. “We’re not here because of a political conflict. We’re here for humanity. We’re here to support the innocents that are being murdered.”
Several signs made by participants echoed this sentiment with messages including, “No amount of land is worth murdering innocent sisters and brothers,” and, “Land you have to kill for is not yours.”
Speakers provided participants with the latest information coming out of Gaza, focusing on the death toll, which is estimated to be over 11,200 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
The demonstration also emphasized the U.S. government’s support of Israel and criticized its financial involvement through foreign military aid. Elhaddad spoke about President Joe Biden’s request for a $14.3 billion military aid package for Israel, which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month but blocked by the Senate earlier this week.
Jewish students and members of the community took part in the protest, many of them carrying signs that highlighted their solidarity, including one that read, “Jews for Peace, Freedom for Palestine.”
“I’m Jewish, and I’m really here because I think it’s important to say that Israel does not represent all Jews,” said Ella, a protester who only gave a first name. “I’m here to protest in support of the Palestinian people because the Jewish value of tikkun olam says that we must heal the world, and I refuse to see another genocide and apartheid go down on my watch.”
Another protester, Shay Jennings, said that part of the reason she takes part in demonstrations and advocates for justice is because she believes it is her responsibility to stand up for what she believes in.
“I was not given a voice to not speak up,” Jennings said. “I was not given feet to not march for people who need it. I was not given hands to not call my senators, to not make a sign or hold up this heavy megaphone. All these things I was gifted with — why wouldn’t I use them for good?”
Other participants echoed the same sentiment when explaining their reasons for protesting, many of whom saying they attended previous campus protests over the past month.
“I have a lot of passion in my heart, I think, for fighting against injustice,” Jennings said. “It’s really nothing that I would ever stop doing. I will come out here until my dying breath. I will be out here fighting for people who need it.”
Reach Hannah Parcells at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @HannahParcells.
