Students protest on anniversary of ongoing Israel-Hamas war

On October 7 at 12:30 p.m., Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, as it has been one year since the ongoing Israel-Hamas war began. This protest is part of a “Week of Action” that will be taking place from October 7 – 10. 

The protest took place on the Main Quad at the University of Alberta North Campus, outside of the Central Academic Building (CAB). Approximately 150 U of A students, staff, and faculty members were in attendance. 

The organizers of the event declined to provide comment to The Gateway.

The protest began with a speech from Nisrin Salah. Salah said that it has been “one year since the skies over Gaza turned black with fire, one year since bombs fell like rain on a people already broken by decades of occupation.” 

Salah’s speech focused primarily on children living in Gaza. “There are children in Gaza who have never known a single day of peace in their lives — children who know more about death than they do about life,” Salah said. 

“We are here today not just to mourn, not just to grieve, but to rage. To rage against the injustice, against the cruelty, against the silence,” Salah said. 

Following this speech, the attendees began a march around campus that lasted for approximately 30 minutes. 

“We have gathered to affirm the absolute truth that in our lifetime, Palestine will be free,” Litwack says 

After the march, the attendees gathered on the Main Quad for another speech. Michael Litwack, a professor in the department of English and film studies at the U of A, gave the second speech. 

“Just over one year ago today, many of us gathered on this same lawn in protest of the Zionist regime’s escalation of its 76 year Nakba against the Palestinian people,” Litwack said. “We have gathered to affirm the absolute truth that in our lifetime, Palestine will be free.” 

Litwack said that it is clear to him that those that are “complicit” in this conflict “have no shame.”