University of Tennessee students host vigil for Palestine to demand divestment by university
A solemn student vigil in support of Palestine on the University of Tennessee campus May 1 stands in contrast with the images of police tearing down encampments at other campuses across America.
Like their peers at other campuses, Students for Justice in Palestine called for Knoxville campus leaders to disclose any investments tied to Israel and divest from them.
"It's really tough to know that the money you earn and the money that you spend goes to oppress the people of Palestine. And the United States, as well as especially the University of Tennessee, should have no part in any of (this)," Students for Justice in Palestine co-founder Hamzah Saleh told the crowd of about 100.
Saleh and the group also asked UT leaders to cancel a study abroad trip to Israel.
Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza on Oct 7, 2023. The attackers killed more than 1,100 people, most of them civilians, and took hostage about 250 civilians and soldiers. Israel has released evidence showing the attackers committed rape during the assault, and a United Nations envoy told the UN Security Council in March she found "reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence – including rape and gang-rape – occurred across multiple locations of Israel and the Gaza periphery during the attacks" and may be ongoing against the hostages Hamas is holding.
Israel launched a massive counterattack that has claimed the lives of more than 34,500 Palestinians, the Gaza Health Ministry told Reuters on April 30. Palestinian health officials say two-thirds of those killed were women and children. Since June 2007, Israel has enforced an enhanced land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip. UNICEF and other international aid organizations report the blockade has caused patients to die from lack of emergency medical attention, severely curtailed shipments of food and medicine, strangled construction and reconstruction efforts, and created crises in education, unemployment and the provision of critical health care and basic services such as clean drinking water and electricity.
"Today, it's just all the students really coming together to show the University of Tennessee that, as students, we don't support any investments abroad for the state of Israel, or anything that can help facilitate the apartheid that's being imposed on the Palestinian people, and that they need to disclose the investments to the students here and the community here so we can make sure they align with our core values as an institution," Saleh said.
"That's not just our right to know, that's also the administration's responsibility."
College campuses have been hot spots of activism marked by encampments and demonstrations demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war and often divestment in Israel. Columbia University has dominated national headlines, particularly after police raided a student-occupied building April 30.
What is Students for Justice in Palestine and what are its demands?
UT recognized Students for Justice in Palestine as an organization in January, Saleh told Knox News. The group hosts events educating students about Palestine and its history.
"Our main goal isn't protest. A lot of times our voices isn't heard, but our number one goal is to educate our fellow student body," Saleh said.
The group posted an April 30 list of demands on Instagram, including a call for transparency on investments and donations, for divestment of endowments from corporations directly or indirectly involved in wars or conflicts, cancelation of the study abroad program trip to Israel and rejection of threats to free speech.
Separate protest on campus ended at the College of Law
A demonstration by students and community members separate from the vigil later formed at the Torchbearer statue, according to The Daily Beacon student news organization. A group in support of Israel gathered as well and the two groups moved from Circle Park to Cumberland Avenue.
As the demonstration continued into the night near the College of Law building, administrators warned the group after midnight to disperse, the Beacon reported. University and local police arrived but demonstrators had already left.
The university released this statement:
"The university values freedom of speech and expression and is committed to the safety of all members of our campus community. Everyone on campus is expected to follow applicable laws and university policy for freedom of assembly and demonstration. A group of administrators from divisions and offices across campus had been communicating with the group gathered on the outskirts of campus all day and returned this evening to reiterate permissible and impermissible activities, including the state law prohibiting camping on state property, like the university’s campus. No arrests were made," UT spokesperson Kerry Gardner sent Knox News via email.
Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee students host vigil for Palestine
