Hundreds of UIUC students participate in pro-Palestine rally
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Hundreds of UIUC students gathered in Champaign on Wednesday to protest the University for what they describe as its “complicity” in the war in Gaza.
Students started rallying at Alma Mater in the afternoon, before travelling to Green Street for a protest and then moved to across the street from Swanlund Administration Building, to hope to talk to administration.
The protest was organized by a student group ActNow4Palestine. They are demanding the University to divest from BlackRock, an asset manager company. Among the companies BlackRock invests their money in are weapons manufacturer Lockhead Martin, Northrup and Raytheon, who supply weapons to Israel.
Illinois students unite for peace amid Israel-Palestine conflict
“As a Palestinian, I’m saddened by the disregard Chancellor Jones and President Killeen have
shown to my community,” Dema Karim, spokesperson for ActNow4Palestine, said in a news release announcing the protest.
The group also wants the university to form an advisory committee for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab affairs.
Norman Hernández, the undergrad student spokesperson of ActNow4Palestine, said it’s important for him to be a voice for the voiceless, no matter where they are in the world.
“I think it’s easy for people to, you know, look over there and, you know, see it as something that’s kind of abstracted from our way of life,” Hernández said. “But I really urge people to educate themselves on why it’s not.”
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A small group of students was there to show support for Israel as well.
“My brothers and sisters that are not able to celebrate the holiday of Passover or breathe fresh air today as they’re hostages,” Jonah Shapiro, a student told WCIA before a protestor shouted profanities at him.
“And I’m here because of people like that that hate us,” he added.
Robin Kaler, University of Illinois’s Associate Chancellor of Strategic Communications and Marketing, gave WCIA a statement on the protest.
“We care about all of our students and are focused on the things we can do here on our campus to deliver the educational experience they expected when they chose to come to Illinois.
Members of our university community and even visitors are allowed to exercise their freedom to engage in expressive activities on university property as long as they abide by university policies that are consistent with the First Amendment. We always hope they exercise those rights that are respectful of people with other viewpoints. Additionally, we hope those are not involved in a particular event show that same courtesy.”
Statement from Robin Kaler
Pro-Palestinian protests have happened at college campuses across the country this week, including at Columbia University and NYU.
Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ Oct. 7 deadly attack, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
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