Members of the LSU community gathered in Free Speech Alley Thursday for the “Taking A Stand for Humanity” protest to raise awareness for the plight of Palestinians under occupation in Gaza.
“We’re out here today taking a stand for humanity, trying to bring about humanitarian intervention in a moment where the international community has turned its back on millions of people suffering, not just in Palestine, but in Sudan and the Congo,” political science freshman Gabriela Juárez said.
The event was led and organized by students. They are demanding an “immediate ceasefire by all parties to end the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,” according to a document released by the organizers. The document also calls for a repeal of Louisiana’s “Anti-Boycott Law,” which would allow LSU to issue a public statement expressing solidarity with Palestinian students, and for the U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to “actively advocate for the signing of the ceasefire resolution in the House of Representatives.”
The protest began with people gathering in a circle holding signs with messages like “Free Palestine,” “From the River to the Sea, May All Beings Be Free,” “Corporate News is Zionist News” and “Biden is Supporting Genocide with Our Tax Dollars,” all while shouting chants led by a man draped in a Palestinian scarf.
The crowd grew energized as they shouted chants of protest.
“Free, free Palestine! Free, free Gaza!”
“Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry, in our hearts you’ll never die.”
Juárez then stood above the crowd, saying an event like this on campus is “long overdue,” pausing for a moment to let the cheers subside.
“If you’re a human being, this struggle is your struggle, because it is a struggle for humanity,” Juárez said as passing students began to stop and listen in. “What we’re seeing in Gaza right now, it’s not conflict, it’s genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people.”
The protest stems from the fallout of an Oct. 7 attack perpetrated by the militant group Hamas, a U.S-designated terrorist group, when it launched an attack in southern Israel, killing an estimated 1,400 Israelis, many of whom were civilians. Israel formally declared war on Hamas on Oct. 8 and has since launched missiles and sent armed forces into the majority Palestinian Gaza Strip, which Hamas currently controls, killing upward of 10,000 people, including at least 4,104 children, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“The fact of the matter is that for 75 long years, the state of Israel has engaged in a campaign of genocide against the Palestinian people. From its inception as a state, it was built on ethnic supremacy and ethnic exclusion,” Juárez said.
After a series of speeches, the protesters marched through Free Speech Alley, continuing their chants. Tensions flared between the crowd and a small group of counter-protesters, leading to loud hollering.
This isn’t the first time LSU has seen protests supportive of Palestine. There was one in 2021 that led to controversy after the LSU Student Government posted its support for the movement on Instagram before quickly removing it after receiving backlash from some Jewish students. Such events have not deterred movements for Palestine on LSU’s campus.
“The voices demanding a ceasefire echo across the spectrum, reflecting a collective call for compassion, justice, and peace. Now is the time to act, to stand with LSU and Louisiana, and to contribute to a lasting resolution for the greater good,” reads the final list of demands from the group.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Cooperation Rouge was not involved in putting together the protest.
