On Friday November 17, students across the greater Philadelphia area took to the city streets as part of a nationwide day of solidarity with Palestine. This protest was especially poignant, as it functioned as part of International Students’ Day, which honors the martyrdom of nine Czech student activists against the Nazi occupation in 1939. Nearly a century later, Philly students and community members came out in droves to rally for Palestine first in front of Philadelphia City Hall and then the building that houses the Philadelphia Inquirer, a publication that has developed a reputation with activists for minimizing the damage done to Gaza by Israel. With emphatic speeches and a staged die-in, the rally was a powerful example of the organizing capability of Philly students.
Student Voices
While the students and community members at the rally came from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, one thing constant between all of them was their reasoning for coming to protest. A student known as EM spoke about how the conditions of Gaza, alongside the conditions of the world under capitalism, brought them to the rally. A community member named A, who was handing out masks during the rally, said that they are trying to do everything they can to support students and speak out about Palestine, especially in the midst of attempts to silence pro-Palestinian voices.
Another community member, known as Tazer, voiced their disgust at their tax dollars funding what they labeled a “genocide” in Gaza, especially when the government refuses to respond to citizens calling for a ceasefire. A student known as Slade said that going to pro-Palestine rallies is a priority in their life right now, and that they try to go to as many as they can every week. To Slade, it feels as though they are witnessing a failure in democracy, with people trying to “fabricate reasons to accept apartheid” in Israel, something that hits home for them as they have family members that have experienced apartheid practices against Black people in the United States.
A Growing Movement
For many, their involvement with the movement for justice in Palestine is fairly new. EM had known about the ongoing struggle in Palestine for a long time, but it was the recent round of escalation that finally drew them in. EM expressed a feeling of obligation to Palestine, as well as a desire to express themself and show support for a powerful movement.
Tazer expressed a similar sentiment, saying that ever since they became aware of the Israeli occupation, they have believed that Palestine deserves to be free. They also mentioned a feeling of pride, as for the first time in their lifetime they are seeing people opening their eyes and taking a stand for Palestine. As a Jewish person, they mentioned feeling a sense of responsibility to get involved and organize for Palestine after “learning about the theft of Palestinian lands to create the state of Israel.”
A student named Skip mentioned that they heard about it through social media, especially the “radical Irish social media” they consume as an Irish person. Though Skip had known about the struggle their whole life, they mentioned a new sense of fear for the Palestinian people, saying that it seemed Israel was “going in for the kill” this time.
A community member named Nina also expressed pride for student organizers, having been a part of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) in college 10 years ago. Nina expressed that while the reason for it was horrible, it was great to see the outpouring of support for Palestine, as in their lifetime people have always been afraid to talk about it.
Moving Forward
Another thing nearly everyone at the rally could agree on, was that students and community members should continue to show up for Palestine during this important moment. EM advised students to “be a body at a movement”, and to channel their outrage at not only the Israeli government, but the US government as well into fostering a desire to create a different world. To do this, EM encouraged students to join their school’s chapter of SJP, something echoed by both A and Slade.
A added that students should also call for an end to their schools’ complicity in the Palestinian genocide, whereas Slade advised students to disrupt the status quo in their schools and speak about Palestine any time the subject of liberation is brought up. “Bico, Bico you can’t hide, you’re complicit in genocide,” protesters chanted about Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. All Philadelphia area schools had were chanted in a similar fashion.
Slade added that now is the time for students to sacrifice their own comfort; to speak up and walk out to protest institutions that expect students to fall in line and stay silent when they show support for injustice. To do this, Slade encouraged students to support Muslim and pro-Palestinian businesses such as Richie’s Café and follow social media pages such as @phillypalestinecoalition on Instagram, which gives students direct actions to participate in to support Palestine throughout the city.
Responses from Authorities
An aspect of the November 17 student rally for Palestine that cannot be ignored was the conspicuous presence of police at the event. EM described the circle of police officers and low-flying helicopters circling the rally as “unfortunate but totally expected”, as organizers had to get city permission for the event to happen. Regardless, to EM it seemed that the police took the rally as a “great opportunity for agitation”, with speakers at protests the week prior calling out police presence and bringing up memories of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. In March of 2023, the City of Philadelphia reached a $9.25 million settlement with hundreds of protesters who had filed numerous lawsuits over police use of tear gas, tanks and “indiscriminate” chasing tactics during 2020 protests.
A echoed this sentiment, mentioning how the police spoke loudly with one another while organizers were delivering important speeches. A added that the police presence was “anxiety inducing”, and a “blatant show of disrespect” to what is happening in Palestine right now. Skip and Slade both mentioned a dislike for the police presence and a feeling of being surrounded.
Slade also brought up the opposite conditions of the pro-Israel rallies in DC last week, where police surrounded protesters for protection, describing the pro-Israel rally as “impeccably safe like a sports game” in comparison to rallies for Palestine, where surveillance is implied and the danger of doxxing is always present.
Nina mentioned the police presence being “ramped up” as compared to a month ago, with the presence being “outsized” in relation to the nature of the protests themselves. Tazer brought up the similarities between the helicopters drowning out student speakers and the Palestinian media blackout, stating that the police are “using every tool they can to surveil people and limit their ability to tell stories”. Tazer stated that in the midst of this surveillance and silencing, everyone is suffering from this occupation, and thus it is more important than ever to stand in solidarity.
As always, the final, permeating statement for all involved at the protest was the same, a message that is gaining importance by the day, amid attempts to silence the pro-Palestinian movement: “Free Palestine.”
