Hearts continue to ache at the persistent Israeli genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza, even as Israel resolutely defies international law and human norms one and all, and refuses to comply with the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. Ruling administrations in the US and its European allies play at “seeing no evil, hearing no evil” vis-à-vis the unbridled Israeli war machine, yet waves of wrath opposing such nonchalant hypocrisy simmer among many public circles in the West, particularly among university students. Crowds cry their hearts out for an end to the crimes against humanity committed by Israel against the Palestinians, crimes that have gone above and beyond anything seen in previous wars. Demonstrators in the West call for “A free Palestinian State that stretches from the river to the sea”, in hope that their voices and persistent protest would force those in power to reassess their support of Israel. Today I pick examples of public demonstrations and demands in the West.
Following the Norwegian government’s announcement recognising a Palestinian State last May, masses took to the streets of Oslo raising the Palestinian flag and shouting pro-Palestine slogans including “Free Palestine”.
In the US capital Washington DC, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators rallied against Israel’s crimes in Gaza, which are politically, militarily and financially supported by the US. The most common chants and slogans heard in the Washington demonstrations were: “Biden Biden, what do you say… How many kids have you killed today?”; “Netanyahu you can hide… We charge you with genocide”; “By the millions by the billions… We are all Palestinians.”
A wave of student demonstrations recently erupted in US universities against what is happening to the Palestinians in Gaza. This created controversy; some commended the demonstrations and others condemned them owing to the chaos and unrest they created inside campuses. But come the graduation ceremony of the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts, all the graduates of the 2024 class expressed in their own way their support for Palestinians and their opposition to the Israeli crimes committed in Gaza with US and European blessings. Amid resounding applause, each graduate going on stage once his or her name was called to receive their diploma, carried either the Palestinian flag or a banner with some slogans supporting Palestine:
- “Students for Palestine”
- “Let Gaza live”
- “DIVEST UMN”, which is the name of a student-led campaign calling on the University of Minnesota to divest from corporations that profit off companies complicit in war crimes and human rights violations under Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These companies include arms manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Boeing, Honeywell and their subsidiaries.
- “Free Gaza now”
- “Free free Palestine”
- “From the river to the sea”
- “Stop the genocide”
- “All eyes on Rafah”
- “Free free Gaza”
- “US dollars for education and not for war”
- “End the occupation now”
I have been keen to report on what happened during the graduation ceremony of the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts in May 2024, because it reflects the conscience and vibes prevailing in US university circles, as regards the atrocities taking place in Gaza as the US administration looks the other way.
Watani International
1 June 2024