NAMED BEST CAMPUS NEWSPAPER IN CALIFORNIA FOR 2022 BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION AND CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Volume 161 No. 24 SERVING SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934
WWW.SJSUNEWS.COM/SPARTAN_DAILY
ANGEL SANTIAGO | SPARTAN DAILY
Attendees march on San José State University's Seventh Street Plaza with homemade signs during a protest organized by Students for Justice in Palestine on Thursday afternoon.
Students protest in support of Palestine By Melany Gutierrez
of being a misunderstood group is what they have to go through nowadays because of the power Disclaimer: The students dynamic at SJSU and in the who participated in the United States. Students for Justice in A San José State sophomore Palestine protest requested to and another member of Students remain anonymous because of for Justice in Palestine said she personal safety concerns. was worried the protest could Students for Justice in prompt counter protests. Palestine held a protest by She said that despite her the Victory Salute statues on fears, protesting is something campus Thursday afternoon. that must be done in order to Students for Justice in have their voices heard at such Palestine is a campus-based an uneasy time. nonprofit organization at San José State that advocates for the human rights of Palestinians, according to its Instagram bio. The demonstration was a response to the recent events in the Israel-Hamas war and Israel’s siege of Gaza. In the Gaza Strip, 2,750 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes as of Oct. 7, according to a Oct. 16 Reuters article. Over 423,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes as of Oct. 7, according to an Oct. 14 United Nations press release. A junior student at San José “If we don’t say it’s peaceful, State and a member for Students we could be painted a certain for Justice in Palestine said she way that says we are hateful,” was nervous to speak at the she said. protest because she thought the The student said SJSU protest could be perceived as is failing to make campus a malicious. supportive place for Palestinian “It just feels like we’re not students and this protest is a call really understood and I’m really for change to that atmosphere. nervous of getting in trouble,” “You have a community of the junior said. “We’re literally Palestinians and we feel unseen forced to hide our identities and unheard,” the junior while they (people who support said. “We wish to have more Israel) can walk around showing support at this institution and their faces because they’re you fail to recognize how not in any kind of trouble like you’re making this a hurtful we are.” place for Palestinians.” The junior said this concept She said she believes SJSU
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has always preferred to remain dead silent during the continuous attacks on Gaza that have been happening over the past few years. The junior also said the email message SJSU sent out on Oct. 10 discussing Israel and Gaza made them very concerned. The message written by Dawn Lee, interim chief and diversity officer, stated the administration was profoundly saddened by these events. “While many have strong
Union and Students Supporting Israel on Oct. 11. The SJSU junior said this message appeared to be deliberately written with bias toward Israel. She said the message was biased because it did not list any resources for Palestinian students and did not acknowledge that innocent lives are being taken from both sides which should not be taken lightly. “The fact that the school only
We wish to have more support at this institution and you fail to recognize how you’ re making this a hurtful place for Palestinians. Anonymous SJSU junior
feelings about the long history of struggle in the Middle East, no matter one’s perspective, the violence and terror taking place halfway around the world reverberate here,” Lee said. Lee also said the campus has different resources and campusbased groups that students can reach out to, including the Jewish Student Union and Students supporting Israel. They also announced that the university would have a vigil honoring and mourning all Israeli lives lost that was being hosted by Jewish students and faculty, the Jewish Student
endorsed that vigil (hosted by Jewish students and faculty) . . . is distasteful,” one SJSU sophomore said. A San José State senior who also came to protest said they weren’t surprised by the university’s alleged favoritism for the Israeli cause. “I feel like all universities in the United States have a strong bias because of our American culture, always favoring Israel,” the senior said. SJSU Director of Media Relations, Michelle Smith McDonald said the university supports all free speech and
acknowledges that people have a right to vent about their feelings, especially if they are personally impacted by the issue. She said the vigil that took place the day before was a form of free speech and a support system just like the protest held by Palestinian students. McDonald also said the message sent out by the university was not sent out with the intention to take sides, but to prioritize connection and support amongst the campus community. “We share the sorrow that a lot of people are feeling, but our priority was taking care of our campus community and making sure that they knew that there are places for them to go and (find) connections for them,” she said. Andrew Yang, the director of the Mosaic Cross Cultural Center said he attended the protest to show protesters that the center is available to provide support to all people and communities of different identities who may have different personal connections to the conflict. The Mosaic Cross Cultural Center is a resource center on campus providing support, advocacy, empowerment and a safe space for all students on campus, according to its website. “We’re always here as a resource for any student that wants to come, talk or take time to process,” Yang said. The junior said in the past week there has been a major shift in the safety of club ACTIVISM | Page 2