‘Never felt more proud to be Jewish and stand with my people’: Student protest at George Washington University enters second night
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) – Demonstrators remain at George Washington University for the second night as a protest against the Israel-Hamas war continues.
Students set up an encampment at University Yard Thursday, following in the footsteps of students at universities across the country, including Columbia University. There, protestors have been met with force from police, as the university ordered the encampment to be removed.
Despite warnings from GWU officials yesterday and early this morning that the encampment was against university policy, students remained.
Graduate student, Moataz Salim, said police threatened and intimidated them.
“At about 2 a.m. we had I think something like 10, 15 cops come into the encampment,” Salim said. “We all woke up in anticipation of arrests. Then essentially our plan was whoever was willing to stay, potentially being arrested, they stayed, whoever leaves can leave.”
Majority of the students moved off campus property onto H Street, where hundreds continued rallying in the road Friday.
Salim stayed in the encampment and said he’s willing to be arrested or suspended from school.
“100%,” he said.
As a Palestinian-American, Salim said he has many family members who still live in Gaza and are impacted by the genocide. Some have been killed.
“I feel it’s my duty to be a voice for my people, who are voiceless unfortunately,” he said.
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Despite giving notice to students about the potential consequences for trespassing, students were not arrested or removed from University Yard as of 8:30 p.m.
“I think the university made the policies very clear. They were asked to leave U Yard yesterday by 7 p.m. and very clearly they did not,” said senior Skyler Sieradzky.
Sieradzky is a Jewish student and said the encampment feels threatening.
“It makes me really scared. I hear chants like death to the Jewish state and I feel like almost a personal attack,” she explained.
Sieradzky stood outside wrapped in an Israeli flag to show solidarity with her ancestry and family back in Israel.
“I’ve never felt more proud to be Jewish and stand with my people. Our community has come together in a way I’ve never seen before,” she said.
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Despite the fear, both sides endured Friday evening.
“I just hope the university is able to keep us safe, as well as the Arab and Muslim students,” Sieradzky said.
Salim said it has been “scary.”
“We’re human at the end of the day,” Salim said. “But, it’s still absolutely nothing compared to what our people in Gaza are experiencing.”
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