Purchase Rally for Palestine: Discussion on the Anniversary of the Gaza Solitary Encampment

By Summer Tyler

On May 2, over 60 Purchase students gathered in The Quad to discuss the events that took place last year, in which an encampment took place where several Purchase students and faculty were arrested.

Students began walking out of classes around 3:45 p.m., chanting and gathering students to follow the group to The Quad. They gathered at The Quad at approximately 4:20 p.m. to present their concern for the injustice students faced on campus, the attack on freedom of expression, and the ongoing protests for Palestine.

Purchase students gather in the quad holding a discussion about the May 2 protest. (Photo by Summer Tyler)

"Remember what happened last year and how it affected everyone. A lot of people I know were arrested," said a senior music major after being asked what the primary goal of this discussion was.

There was also a bake sale taking place at The Quad during the discussion to raise money for The Sameer Project, which consists of a collection of Palestinian families who are receiving donations to be able to escape Gaza and afford necessities while they're under siege.

A QR code being handed out at the protest. (Photo by Summer Tyler)

A sophomore theater and performance major was asked about the discussion and the events that took place last year.

"This event is to show the administration that we are still fighting for Palestinian liberation," they said. "We have not backed down from the fight against the administration's unethical ties to Israel, also to have a community-based discussion about the next steps, people's personal anecdotes about what happened, as well as what students can do next."

The students marched across campus, chanting and urging other students to join in protest and raising awareness.

Augie Brightman, a junior cinema studies major and transfer student, was asked about his thoughts on what he heard about last year's events. Brightman said, "I think it's interesting, and it's great that they care about such an important cause…I think it's very important that they did that. It seems like they did nothing wrong, obviously, so they definitely didn't deserve what happened to them… I'm hoping for the best; I hope they're all safe."

The protesting ended at around 7:10 p.m.

David Einhorn, a rising senior and environmental studies major, expressed his concerns to students about misconceptions about the United States' aid to Israel.

“My central point was that people have a misconception about where the tilt of power lies. And you hear from a lot of people that Israel controls the United States, that the finger on the scale metaphorically is on their end," Einhorn said. "The pressure comes from the United States, and it comes from U.S. [United States] civil society. None of this would be as accomplishable as it is in Israel's end. 
There's a lot there is a misconception that like if we stopped running them, they would fall. That’s bullshit.”

Freshman and cello performance major, Laura Mead, expressed her thoughts on the event. 

“We deserve to have free speech on campus. It was [the discussion] meant to be a place to process what happened and talk about what to do next, and how to move forward in activism.”

Mead said she wished there had been more discussion about actionable next steps during the meeting, though she appreciated the emphasis on community-building. “I think the next step is having more community-based events that bring people together,” she said. “You can't really organize without community.”

She also expressed a desire to push for the removal of the campus free speech zone, describing it as “so bad.” Still, Mead acknowledged the challenge ahead, adding, “It’s pretty hard to figure out what to do next because everyone has their own ideas of what to do, and it’s really hard to know what’s actually going to work.”