LA JOLLA, Calif. (KGTV) – Dozens of students and others came together Thursday night for a vigil in support of Palestine on UC San Diego’s campus.
“The reason why we’re having this vigil is to hold a safe space for Palestinians on campus,” one speaker said.
“And what we hope to do today is just to shed light on what is happening in Gaza and at the hands of who and why this is happening. And also a moment of silence to honor those who have lost their lives and can no longer speak,” Summer Ismail, a student organizer, said.
“I was reading the Fatiha prayer. As a Muslim, that’s how we commemorate the death,” one speaker told ABC 10News when asked about what she was thinking about during the moment of silence.
One of the organizers of the vigil said they hope people will begin to humanize the Palestinian people.
“People don’t value our lives. Our lives are valued as so, for so little. And I hope that people can put names to faces and see us as human beings because unfortunately what’s happening is happening to people like me,” Ismail said.
Those who spoke at the vigil say they’re hoping the vigil provides more support from their campus community.
“Tonight I hope that community gets to humanize us Palestinian students,” the speaker told ABC 10News after the vigil. “I think what we need right now is community for our campus specifically since many of us as Palestinian Americans don’t feel safe.”
A small group of protesters did show up towards the end of the vigil.
But, the situation didn’t get out of hand as organizers told people attending the vigil not to engage them.
