SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A large protest supporting Palestine and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was held on the UC San Diego campus Wednesday afternoon.
Students for Justice in Palestine, the group that organized the rally, said its goal was to hold the biggest protest in campus history.
The rally began around 3 p.m. on the Matthews Quad. Supporters of Palestine at the event said the war's violence has gone on unfettered for too long.
"I don't see what rational person wouldn't call to end the killing of innocent men, women and children," says Omar, one of the students who attended the rally. "That doesn't make sense to me. You call for a ceasefire and then after that there's different plans, different approaches you can take."
@abc10news UCSD student group organizes large protest in support of Palestine. Follow link in bio for more details & univeristy statement. #palestine #news #ucsd #sandiego ♬ original sound - ABC 10News San Diego
Ahead of the protest, the university sent out a notification saying security was increased on campus.
Some professors at UCSD wrote to university leadership and State Senator Toni Atkins in an attempt to cancel the protest ahead of time.
ABC 10News spoke to one of those professors. She says she is fearful of what could happen on campus, given the tension surrounding the war.
"I know that they have to contend with the idea of freedom of speech as well, and I understand that SJP as a student org is allowed to do such a thing," says Dr. Rachel Millstone from UCSD's Department of Education Studies. "But we heard there were going to be busloads of people coming to campus, and the potential violence drove me to write this letter."
A student protester, who did not want to be named, at the event emphasized that they were exercising their First Amendment rights.
“We have the right to protest. After all, it is a public university. We live in the United States of America," the prostester said. "We are here just for equal rights, uplifting our voices and, again, at the heart of every single social movement has been student-led movement.”
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the protest remained peaceful throughout the event.
UCSD released a statement saying it condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia and "all forms of hate." Read the full statement below:
"UC San Diego unequivocally condemns all forms of hate. As a public university, UC San Diego is required to allow access to campus and support everyone’s right to constitutionally protected free speech. We expect and encourage everyone to exercise their constitutional rights respectfully and peacefully during this student-organized demonstration. Violations of the law and university policy will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. We call upon all Tritons, visitors and other community members to reaffirm our commitment to embody UC San Diego’s Principles of Communityin our words, actions and how we treat one another."
One protester pointed out that there were Jewish students in attendance voicing their concerns about the war.
"There are Jewish students out here with us today protesting what Israel is doing," says Omar. "Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. We love our Jewish brothers and sisters. We stand with them."
Millstone says people who support Israel are still concerned about the deadly conflict in Gaza.
"I can't say how we would move forward in this time... I of course share — I think it might be a misconception of us that are pro-Israel [that we] don't care about the innocent lives lost, that couldn't be further from the truth," she says.
