At noon on Nov. 21, some University of Oregon students, faculty and Eugene community members met at the Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater to begin their “walk-out” for an “International Day of Action.”
“Students for Justice in Palestine has called for Nov. 21 to be its day of action, which means that it’s a rallying point for everybody all over the country to take action at the same time,” Diego Duarte, a member of UO Jewish Voice for Peace and Young Democratic Socialists of America, said.
The walk-out was announced in an Instagram post by UO Students for Justice in Palestine, the Working Committee of Grads for Palestine, UO Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine, UO Young Democratic Socialists of America and UO Muslim Student Association.
Salem Younes, an organizer of the rally, discussed the purpose of the demonstration.
“There’s no reason not to be in the streets shouting and not gather and make noise and do our best to pressure the systems that are complicit and the people that are complicit… Our voices are loud and we will keep organizing hope for a free world,” Younes said.
Molly Sirois, a community member, stood on the outskirts of the group to “support the students.”
She said she was there to “support the end of genocide, the end of the occupation [and] the end of assault on Lebanon.”
“As a community member with very close ties to Palestine, anyone anywhere acting on behalf of stopping the genocide is someone I want to support,” Sirois said.
Two students, Fred Jones and Axel Spangenberg, stood near Sirois, observing the group.
“I feel like it’s been the headline of [the] news for a really long time, so inevitably you know a decent amount about it,” Jones said.
The group began their march at the EMU Amphitheater, rounding down University Street and into the EMU fishbowl.
As they entered the EMU, Rick Haught, associate director for operations at the EMU, walked over to the O-Desk at the EMU to monitor the march.
Haught said he and his co-workers have “an interest and an obligation to make sure that the EMU is safe for everybody in it.”
The crowd then headed down the stairs and out to the EMU Green. After walking past the Living Learning Center, the Student Recreation Center and through the Lillis Business Complex, the crowd headed toward the Amphitheater.
As they headed back towards the Amphitheater, attendees chanted, “UOPD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same,” as they passed a UOPD patrol car.
Chris Chase, the data and program assistant of Pathway Oregon, said he thought the march would send an important message to the university.
“I think it’s important to make sure that we hold the University of Oregon accountable for the things that they claim to stand for,” Chase said.
Mae Bracelin of the University of Oregon’s Student Workers Union spoke before the crowd entered Lillis Business Complex.
“Somehow there is always enough money to pay for Israel but never enough to pay for what working people need,” Bracelin said. “We have a special obligation to fight as hard as we can to end this war… It is our duty to continue the intifada into 2025.”
Multiple “legal observers” followed the crowd to monitor “police behavior.” One observer said he was working loosely with the Civil Liberties Defense Center.
The march concluded at the Amphitheater.
