George Washington University demonstrations continue into Friday morning

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Students in the District have been gathered at George Washington University (GWU) for over 24 hours to protest the war in Gaza.

“This is not about us. This is not about solidarity with other universities. This is about solidarity with us. This is not about our sacrifice, students. This is about the genocide that’s going on in Gaza right now and get out onto the streets,” said Reem, a GWU student.

Reema is one of hundreds of students, along with faculty and staff from GWU and Georgetown University, who began staging an encampment at GWU’s campus on Thursday morning.

Just before the rally began on Friday, GWU officials placed control fences around the front of the encampment.

THURSDAY: GWU protest continues into evening, students set up encampment in solidarity with Gaza

Students said they are demanding universities in the area divest any investments from Israel over the Palestinian deaths in Gaza due to the Israeli war. They’re also demanding free speech when it comes to pro-Palestine views.

“Repression only makes our movement stronger. Repression only encourages other people to join, it only angers folks. Even if they don’t grant our demands, we’ve seen day by day, more and more people join us, and so eventually those demands will be met,” said Reema.

College students across the DMV – and the United States – have been joining peers in New York, who protested the use of force by the Israeli government in Gaza over the course of the past week.

Students protesting at GWU have received a lot of support from teachers, faculty, former students and even many in the community.

“People were bringing food to support them, to have meals here, the community support. You can’t arrest the movement… So I’ve been energized and activist and activated around these things for a long time, and I’m re-energized because of the students,” said Olivia Dinucci, a community organizer.

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