10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
As a member of the United Socialists at Penn State, Lauren Ogden said the Popular University for Gaza event as a whole was focused on what’s happening in Gaza currently and the “genocide that is occurring in Palestine.”
“I know that all of the encampments that have popped up in the past week and a half have been getting a lot of press,” Ogden, a fourth-year studying human development and family studies, said, referencing the recent encampments at universities across the nation. “But we are focused on what we are protesting and why we are here — demanding that our universities divest from genocide.”
Ogden added that everyone was feeling a mixture of emotions, the largest being solidarity.
Headed to the Allen Street Gates, members of Students for Justice in Palestine, United Socialists, Chalk Back and other organizations wrote messages like “Free Palestine,” “PSU You Can’t Hide You Are Funding Genocide,” “Disclose Divest” and “Ceasefire Now” in colorful chalk on the sidewalk.
As part of the executive board of Students for Justice in Palestine, Roua Daas played a key role in organizing the daylong event.
“Today’s event is really the culmination of the past six months of protest and demand for a ceasefire for Gaza,” Daas, a graduate student studying clinical psychology, said. “As well as the demand for divestment from the weapons manufacturers, which are killing our people by the university — by Penn State.”
Being Palestinian herself, Daas said the emotion she felt first and foremost was anger.
“Anger that six months into the most live streamed genocide the world has ever seen, we have still not gotten the very most basic thing, which is a justice ceasefire,” Daas said. “The demand is literally just to stop, and we still have not met it.”
With the chalking downtown, Daas said SJP worked with Chalk Back to raise awareness about what’s happening in Gaza. Chalk Back, first originated from Cat Calls of NYC, has been integrated into the Penn State community.
Zoe Feinberg, founder of Chalk Back at Penn State, said the group was going to be “loud in every way possible,” especially with the colors they used on the sidewalk.
“(The chalk writing) is in your face as you walk by,” Feinberg, a second-year studying criminology, said. “If you have headphones on and you want to ignore us yelling, too bad. If you can read, you can see it.”
Students write messages with chalk at the Popular University for Gaza protest at the Allen Street Gates on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in State College, Pa.
Feinberg said her hope for the event was that people kept in mind the root of the protest and would “not turn away from Palestine.”
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Midafternoon, the protest group consisted of just under 40 people gathered on the steps of Old Main to rally and better unify the group.
Back and forth chants lasted for about an hour, ranging from “free, free Palestine” and “free, free Gaza” to “Bendapudi shame on you, you imprison students, too.”
Also present at the protest were seven Palestinian flags being waved and signs with messages stating “Admin funds Palestinian genocide,” “Fifty percent equals Gaza and kids, tell my mom her I love, I can’t see, I need my dad.”
1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
The next portion of the event was a “Scholasticide Teach-In” presented by the Faculty for Justice in Palestine.
Alex Lubin, professor of African American studies and history and a member of FJP, said the intention of their presentation was to bring attention to the “difficulty for Palestinian students to get an education.”
Protesters gathered in groups to collaborate on a syllabus document about the current education system for students in Palestine and Gaza in particular, according to Lubin.
“There was a need to spend one day at least to raise awareness about what’s happening,” Lubin said. “There has to be another way forward, and so that’s what this day means for me. I think many of you just want to say ‘enough already.’”
4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
A “Palestine 101 Panel” was held with Students for Justice in Palestine, where students listened as Roua Daas discussed the history of the Israel-Hamas war alongside two other members of SJP.
With one member acting as the moderator, two members took turns answering questions about the war and its impact on Palestinians.
“This did not start on October 7,” Daas said, explaining that the Battle of Gaza occurred in 2007 and has made a lasting impact on Palestinians.
Now, Daas says that over 34,000 Palestinians have died, and to put that number into perspective, she compared it to the undergraduate student population at University Park.
“If 34,000 of us were murdered, that would mean three in every four of us would no longer be alive,” Daas said.
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
“Free, Free Palestine” chants filled the HUB Lawn as the event concluded with a “Why Celebrate May Day?” discussion hosted by People’s Defense Front, Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity, United Socialists at Penn State and SJP.
People’s Defense Front divided the crowd into small groups for discussions on militant tactics, striking and the importance of celebrating May Day.
The organization’s efforts will continue April 27, when they host the Centre County May Day Protest for Palestine at 2 p.m. at the Allen Street Gates.
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