Nearly Year After the War in Gaza Began, Activists on Chicago’s College Campuses Vow Not to Let Up
A Year of Protest and Pushback
Months after pro-Palestinian campus protests and an encampment movement rattled schools across the country last spring, student activists in Chicago say they’re facing new challenges — but don’t plan on letting up.
Universities Haven’t Met Demands
The nationwide protest movement began in response to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis. By April, the war had killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The death toll now exceeds 40,000 people.
Students and faculty say their universities haven’t met their demands, including divesting from Israeli arms manufacturers. More recently, several universities have revamped their protest and demonstration policies on campus after many of them, including DePaul University and the University of Chicago, saw days-long encampments that ended with police raids.
New Policies Raise Free Speech Concerns
For Sarah Wachs, a senior at Northwestern who is active in Jewish Voice for Peace, the university’s new demonstration policy, which limits where, when and how students can protest on campus, raises questions about who decides what free speech is.
“Just having conversations with the students that are in this fight, none of us have gotten a foot in the door,” Wachs said. “They’re creating these new policies without any consideration of those impacted by them.”
Students and Faculty Continue to Push for Change
Callie Maidhof, a professor of global studies at the University of Chicago, spoke at a teach-in Friday, focusing on the historical context and the longtime persecution of Palestinians. She said it was baffling to reconcile the free speech battles students and faculty were having on campus against the backdrop of the horror in Gaza.
“The fact that we are fighting about free speech, it’s such a ridiculous distraction from the real horrors that are happening,” she said. “But it’s real.”
Ongoing Discrimination and Fears
Protesters in the encampment movement hoped to see more progress toward their demands. They succeeded in some ways — Northwestern University President Michael Schill brokered a deal with demonstrators that brought a peaceful end to the encampment there.
But students say they’re still pushing for the same things amid ongoing discrimination. Terrance Freeman, a security guard who worked at DePaul, claimed last month he was reassigned after befriending Palestinian students. Henna Ayesh, a junior at DePaul who is Palestinian, said his absence makes her feel less safe.
“DePaul’s priority is to keep all students safe except when they are Palestinians,” Ayesh said.
Now, the conflict is escalating. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency has reported that some 1,400 Lebanese, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians, have been killed and some 1.2 million driven from their homes in suburban Beirut since Israel escalated its strikes in late September aiming to cripple Hezbollah.
The escalation isn’t a surprise, students say. It just adds a heaviness to the activism they’re committed to continuing.
“If anything, it just has been a bigger motivation for students to keep on going,” said Ayesh, whose grandmother is Lebanese. “But at the same time, for students who do have family in Lebanon, it’s just emotional grief.”
As the conflict continues, student activists in Chicago vow to keep pushing for change, despite the challenges and setbacks. They remain committed to standing in solidarity with Palestinians and advocating for a more just and equitable future.
* What sparked the nationwide protest movement on college campuses?
+ The Israeli bombardment of Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis.
* How many Palestinians have been killed in the war?
+ More than 30,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with the death toll now exceeding 40,000 people.
* What are the demands of the protest movement?
+ Divestment from Israeli arms manufacturers and increased support for Palestinian rights and self-determination.
* How have universities responded to the demands?
+ Some universities, including DePaul and the University of Chicago, have revamped their protest and demonstration policies, while others have taken no action.
* What is the current situation in Lebanon?
+ The conflict is escalating, with reports of 1,400 Lebanese killed and 1.2 million driven from their homes in suburban Beirut.
