The University of Wisconsin chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine held a rally on Bascom Hill Monday. SJP and other supporters gathered to recognize and honor the past year of resistance upheld by Palestinians, according to an SJP speaker.

The rally started with the pro-Palestine demonstrators standing in the middle of Bascom Hill, a space they were permitted access to through UW Conferences and Events, according to UW Assistant Vice Chancellor John Lucas.

The pro-Palestine demonstration surrounded a display of flags, signs and fake corpses wrapped in keffiyehs, honoring Palestinians killed in the past year.

SJP began the rally with a land acknowledgment, likening the war in Gaza to the violence against the Ho-Chunk people.

“I find it kind of ironic that we are displaying a mass grave of Palestinians atop of a mass grave of Ho-Chunk people, both of whom have had their sacred burial and religious rights stripped by their oppressors as part of their genocidal campaigns,” an SJP speaker said.

SJP’s land acknowledgment was met with booing and yells from opposing pro-Israel groups.

The rally moved up the hill, with pro-Palestine demonstrators standing on the walkway, and pro-Israel demonstrators standing on the grass below.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators chanted for an hour, shouting phrases including “from Madison to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” “free, free Palestine, free, free Lebanon” and “Israel, Israel what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”

The chants were met with yelling and jeering from counter-protesters for the duration of the rally. Phrases such as “get a job,” “Are you a man or a woman?” and “you bombed us,” were yelled by pro-Israel demonstrators.

Chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” prompted responses of “you can’t say that” from counter-protesters.

Jonah Hopmayer, a Jewish UW student, detailed the day’s significance for Jewish students and supporters of Israel.

“It’s Oct. 7, a year ago today, Israel experienced a massacre from a terrorist organization,” Hopmayer said. “Civilians were brutally terrorized at a festival of celebration and joy, it was a year ago from today, and for some reason, people are out here protesting, and it’s just a terrible sight to see, so we came out here. It is just a gathering for us to become a community once again, just like we are every single day. Jewish students and supporters of Israel heard it was happening and came.”

Billie Waxler, another Jewish UW student, said she intended to make a statement to SJP by attending the rally.

“[We’re here] to show that they’re not gonna scare us to back down and that we have a right to exist,” Waxler said. “We have the right to do exactly what they do, and we’re stronger than them.”

UWPD officers stood between the two groups, and an officer prevented a student holding an Israeli flag from approaching the pro-Palestine group.

Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology Samer Alatout, who was hit by officers at the pro-Palestinian encampment on Library Mall last spring, addressed the pro-Palestine demonstrators, encouraging them to fight for dignity and Palestinian rights.

“We fight for everybody’s dignity,” Alatout said. “We fight for humans to live like humans. We fight against white supremacy…Palestinians love you. You are what makes them stand strong.”

The counter-protesters yelled as he spoke, saying phrases such as “do you even have a job?” and “put the fries in the bag.”

Hopmayer emphasized his disdain for Hamas, but said he acknowledges the struggles of the Palestinian people.

“I do not bash the Palestinian group, I bash Hamas, because I think that the Palestinian people are just as much hostages as we are, and by we I mean Israelis because Israel is the home of all Jewish people and also to many religions,” Hopmayer said.

Shafiq, an SJP member, said he was disappointed but unsurprised by the actions of the counter-protesters.

“I mean, the counter-protest wasn’t shocking,” Shafiq said. “The main purpose that they served was mocking us. They spent most of the time making fun of us. If somebody slipped up in a chant, they would make fun of that … we are here to mourn and be in rage and anger over the year of genocide, so I’m disappointed, but not shocked.”

The majority of counter-protesters left after an hour, prompting cheers from the pro-Palestine demonstrators. The pro-Palestine demonstrators moved down to the display on the grass and were asked by Olstad and other administrators to move off the grass for the spoken part of their memorial.

The demonstrators moved to the sidewalk to read aloud the names and stories of 50 Palestinians who have been killed in the last year. As they spoke, three students began walking on the memorial. The students were approached by a police officer and left the memorial.

The rally concluded with several speeches and urges by SJP leaders for pro-Palestine demonstrators not to walk home alone and to be cautious.