‘We’re proud to be Jewish’: UI Jewish community comes together after recent protests
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Jewish community on the U of I campus came together on Tuesday following the recent pro-Palestine protests.
Students on campuses across the nation have been calling for schools to divest from the war and for peace overseas. Now, some students at the U of I are saying the peaceful protests are having adverse effects and they want them to stop.
There were about 100 people at the corner of Wright and Green Streets this afternoon. Leaders in the Jewish community believe the protestors are instilling fear, asking them to stay silent, and making them pariahs on campus. Pro-Palestine protestors say that isn’t their goal at all.
This was the scene at the Alma Mater statue on the U of I campus on Friday — protestors calling for the school to divest in the Israel-Hamas war and for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
“Free Palestine is simply where Palestinians can roam freely through their land where they can have the right to return,” said a pro-Palestinian protest organizer.
U of I Jewish communities respond to campus pro-Palestine protests
That was Tuesday afternoon, in the same spot where the Jewish community says they wanted to show solidarity and ask for the protests to stop.
“We are here. People can’t push us away. People can’t say we’re not welcome here,” said a Jewish community organizer.
Students and leaders from several on-campus Jewish organizations spoke out about the protests in a statement to Chancellor Jones.
Dear Chancellor Jones,
We write to you speaking for a large community of students who sit fearful to leave their homes, attend class, and speak out about the open anti-semitism that has plagued our campus these past days.
As you are aware, starting early Friday morning, large troves of hateful anti-Zionist students congregated around Alma Mater with tents, shields, and food supplies to last several days. Their chants started as cries for political action but devolved into chants for the annihilation of our homeland and the eradication of our people. Countless Jewish students pass by this demonstration on their way to their dorms, classes, and holiday celebrations. This protest has not appeared out of coincidence during a time of great celebration amongst our people, Passover. The group is amassing barricades, both wooden pallets and plywood shields, as well as distributing helmets, goggles, and respirators to participants. They are running drills for “de-arresting” themselves and how to physically fight with police. Make no mistake, this protest is not solely about the situation in Gaza but rather serves to instill fear into our community, in hopes that we will stay silent and to make us pariahs on campus.
As students on campus, in fear for our safety, we implore the university to enforce campus policy and ensure that the encampment violations come to an end. They have set up stable, semi-permanent structures that are in direct violation of university code and this makes us, as Jewish students, feel uncomfortable and unwelcome on our own college campus. Action must be taken to ensure that Jewish students and the greater Jewish community are protected from hate and harassment.
For these reasons, we call on the University to uphold their policies, hold those who violate them accountable, and remove the encampment at the heart of our campus, the main quad, as soon as possible.
Tomorrow afternoon, as a show of pride and unity within our community, we will be peacefully congregating around Alma Mater. We write to you as the Jewish leaders of the University of Illinois, speakers for a group that is proud to be Jewish at UIUC and unwilling to be intimidated in the face of hatred against our people.
Jewish Student Leadership
The students go on to ask for action to be taken to protect them from hate and harassment.
“The issue comes when people say, ‘I hate Israel. I hate Zionists. I hate everything Zionism stands for,'” said the Jewish community organizer.
Just on the other side of the quad, protestors say that is not the goal of the movement.
“We have been peacefully protesting. We always remind people not to interact with counter-protests. We actually held Shabbat over yesterday,” said a Pro-Palestinian organizer.
Protestors speak out on 17-hour-long U of I demonstration
One student organizer says the encampment is more than a demonstration asking for university dollars to not fund the war.
“We are here for a free Palestine and divestment. It is in the best interest of every single student regardless if you’re pro-Palestine or not to keep our money going back into ourselves,” said the pro-Palestinian organizer.
It is also a place where students learn about what’s happening there now and in years past.
“We need to create a space and environment for people to learn and educate themselves on. We have many professors, TAs, and grad students here holding teachings,” said the pro-Palestinian organizer.
“I’m really a proponent of everybody doing their own research and coming to their own conclusions,” said the Jewish community organizer.
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