The early hour and crisp fall temperatures did not stop Bryn Mawr SJP from rallying outside Dalton to demand that the Board of Trustees disclose the Israeli companies in which the College has funds invested. Though the group gathered on the lawn beside Dalton’s back entrance was notably smaller than the crowds normally seen at actions hosted by Bryn Mawr SJP, they were no less determined to make their voices heard in support of Palestine, especially in the midst of this year’s Owls Fest.
The rally kicked off a little after 9:30 a.m. Organizers stood on the stone wall beside Dalton to give a speech. They then announced that the group would be moving to Merion Green in order to reach a wider audience. Chanting the whole way, the rally made its way to Merion Green, gathering once more in the corner of the Green closest to Taylor Hall.
Saturday’s rally was rooted in concern from organizers about statements made to them by members of Bryn Mawr administration in a closed meeting last Thursday. Bryn Mawr SJP alleges that the College refused to publicly disclose both its sustainability and equity-related investment policies and details about the Israeli companies Bryn Mawr currently invests in, calling their response to student requests for transparency “patronizing.” Another driving factor behind the Oct. 26 rally was the advent of the second annual Owls Fest, which brings many more faces to campus from visiting families and friends. Organizers wanted to ensure that calls for Palestinian liberation would not get lost in the celebration, with one organizer saying they wanted to make the issue “difficult to ignore.”
Once gathered, organizers handed out homemade t-shirts adorned with handprints in red paint and slogans in support of both the pro-Palestine movement and collegiate divestment from Israel. Organizers also read a statement written last spring by former Bryn Mawr College President Kim Cassidy in regards to College divestment. SJP representatives took turns leading chants through a megaphone, repeating chants such as “disclose, divest/we will not stop, we will not rest!” as well as debuting a new chant, “five million in Israeli tech/we won’t let it rest!”
Passersby seemed engaged by the protest, with some slowing to take a look while walking by and others lingering to video the demonstrators. One Bryn Mawr alum struck up a conversation with an SJP member about Palestinian history, though she declined a request for comment from the Bi-Co News. Around 10:30a.m., organizers announced that the rally was disbanding, and would regroup around 11:00 a.m. for further demonstration during the inauguration ceremony of new Bryn Mawr President Wendy Cadge.
SJP demonstrators returned during the inauguration ceremony of new College President Wendy Cadge, silently walking out onto the Green during Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Archer’s speech at the beginning of the ceremony. Wearing the same t-shirts as before, demonstrators also laid down on the Green during the Academic Recession, with red-painted handprints in full view of the procession members and onlookers.
The demonstration concluded soon after, though keffiyehs and other markers of solidarity with Palestine continued to be seen among the crowd for the remainder of the events on Oct. 26.
