Outlined in chalk, students lay on the ground outside Mitchell Hall, representing lost Palestinian lives.
As part of the Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), running March 2 to 8, two dozen community members gathered in front of Mitchell Hall for a die-in protest.
With supporters lying on the ground, marshalls protected the protesters. They recited Refaat Alareer’s poem “If I Must Die.” The poem describes a child in Gaza waiting for the return of their dad, who won’t be returning. Alareer was killed in an airstrike by the Israeli military in December.
During the protest, a group of students allegedly mocked the protestors by taking pictures and recording videos.
Student protesters declined The Journal’s request for interviews due to safety concerns. Most wore keffiyehs and masks, concealing their identities and showing solidarity with Palestine.
Speaking on the significance of the protest, community member and protester Christina Avery explained the die-in is a fight for liberation and is interconnected with the fight for justice and peace people share collectively.
“We’re not free until we’re all free, everyone should collectively be showing up. This is a declaration of our human rights. If we don’t stand up, it’s just going to get worse from here,” Avery said in an interview with The Journal.
Across campus, students hung a banner down the stairs at Stauffer Library reading “Queen’s Invests $43 million in occupation. Divest From Death Now. Free Palestine.” Flyers were distributed with information on IAW in the library.
The protest follows a March for Rafah at City Hall and a keffiyeh sale fundraiser at the Queen’s Centre. Many SPHR events now require attendees to RSVP ahead of time.
In an Instagram post, SPHR demanded an explanation from Queen’s regarding the sanctioning of a booth raising money for “Friends of IDF” which occurred inside Queen’s Centre. In the post, SPHR said they’re shocked and disgusted by the booth.
The IAW started in 2005 at the University of Toronto and sparked a global movement. The week raises awareness about Israel’s occupation of Palestine, while advocating for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, according to Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR).
Tags
die-in, Israeli Apartheid Week, Protest, SPHR
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A student
The harassment wasn’t alleged there’s plenty of video and photo evidence 🙂