Students at Fresno State held a sit-in on campus to focus attention on the genocide taking place in Gaza and to call for an immediate end to the war. More than 150 students, faculty and community supporters joined as students on campuses across the country are protesting U.S. policy in Palestine, Gaza and Israel.
Loud chanting could be heard on campus. “No justice, no peace, hands off the Middle East. Occupation is a crime, from Fresno to Palestine. Free, free, free Palestine, free, free, free Gaza.”
Haneen, who did not want to give her last name, helped organize this sit-in and is with the campus group Students for Palestine Liberation. Haneen said that “we are here to stand in solidarity with Palestine. We are here because of the ongoing genocide against people in Gaza and the violence they are facing in the West Bank.
“Ultimately, our goal here is for a free Palestine. We want liberation, and I feel we have the power to do so.”
John Beynon, professor of English and president of the California Faculty Association at Fresno State, said he was there “because it is really important that we support our students. Given what we are seeing all around the country, we are seeing a lot of bravery, a lot of courage on the part of students.”
Beynon went on to compare this sit-in to the antiwar demonstrations that took place on campus in 1968.
There was no visible police presence at the sit-in, which took place in the Free Speech area on campus. However, there was one person who was covered with an Israeli flag, another person with a Trump mask who had several video cameras attached to his body and right-wing Proud Boy Josh Fulfer, who shot video of the crowd.
Will there be further antiwar demonstrations at Fresno State? Haneen said that we will just have to wait and see.
