Two rival demonstrations against the war in Gaza took place at the University of Minnesota on Friday, sparking conflict. The day before, pro-Palestinian student organizations had reached a settlement with American authorities to vacate their camp on Northrop Mall.
About 150 individuals showed up for the afternoon’s first event, a pro-Israel demonstration held in front of the Coffman Memorial Union. It was organized by Students Supporting Israel, a national college organization that describes itself as Zionist. There were a variety of people in the audience, including students, rabbis, local Jews, and others. Some were clutching images of captives that Hamas had captured, while others were waving Israeli and American flags in tandem. The crowd appeared to be middle-aged or older in most cases.
About a dozen pro-Palestinian counter-protesters, primarily American students, gathered on the opposite side with Palestinian flags and a sign that said, “We are witnessing a genocide in real time,” as the pro-Israel group persisted in their chants.
Amidst the conflicting cries, a pro-Israel protester with a sizable placard approached a pro-Palestinian student brandishing a megaphone, compelling her to retreat. Before pro-Israel protestors intervened to break them up, some pro-Palestinian activists screamed for the man holding the sign to go back.
A little while later, two U police officers arrived and moved in between the groups to break up more fights.
Jonathan Greenspan, a U student involved in Students Supporting Israel, explained that the group’s goal on Friday was to illustrate that it is OK for Jews who identify as Zionists or who support Israel to voice their ideas.
“We don’t want to foster a campus where only one side can speak up, where people can be shunned, ostracized, and attacked because of what they believe in and who they stand for,” he stated.
A few hundred yards away, 200 or so people gathered for a news conference organized by anti-Zionist Jewish students at the U who spoke in favor of the Palestinian cause, while the pro-Israel protest went on.
The Twin Cities chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and student leaders worked together to organize the pro-Palestinian demonstration. According to a news release, speakers insisted that anti-Zionist Jewish students be included in discussions with university administration, claiming they have felt “silenced” this week.
A U spokesman stated that the university is seeking to identify a portion of Jewish students from the UMN Divest Coalition in order to set up a meeting.A statement from the institution said, “We welcome open, productive dialogue that advances a more inclusive university.”
A U junior who is Jewish and stayed at the campground, Mirabai Dornfest, said there is a misconception that being Jewish equates to being against the pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Comparing the two protests, Dornfest stated that she believed they showed a disparity in age between the Jewish population’s response to the Gaza War.
“We take to heart the lessons we learn from our families’ histories with genocide, lessons we learn in universities, and we will take the lessons we’ve learned into the future,” she stated.
A few hundred yards away, 200 or so people gathered for a news conference organized by anti-Zionist Jewish students at the U who spoke in favor of the Palestinian cause, while the pro-Israel protest went on.
The Twin Cities chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and student leaders worked together to organize the pro-Palestinian demonstration. According to a news release, speakers insisted that anti-Zionist Jewish students be included in discussions with university administration, claiming they have felt “silenced” this week.
A U spokesman stated that the university is seeking to identify a portion of Jewish students from the UMN Divest Coalition in order to set up a meeting.A statement from the institution said, “We welcome open, productive dialogue that advances a more inclusive university.”
A U junior who is Jewish and stayed at the campground, Mirabai Dornfest, said there is a misconception that being Jewish equates to being against the pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Comparing the two protests, Dornfest stated that she believed they showed a disparity in age between the Jewish population’s response to the Gaza War.
“We take to heart the lessons we learn from our families’ histories with genocide, lessons we learn in universities, and we will take the lessons we’ve learned into the future,” she stated.
Leave a Reply