Students for Justice in Palestine and supporters staged a walkout at Library Mall at noon Tuesday.
The demonstration came in response to the arrest of the Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and his involvement in Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian protests last spring, according to their Instagram post.
At the steps of Memorial Library, activists used a megaphone to chant pro-Palestinian call-and-response phrases, gaining the attention of onlookers.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a protest organizer chanted, with the crowd responding in unison.
The first speaker, University of Wisconsin student Dahlia Saba, who was under investigation by UW for her involvement in the encampment last spring, explained the reason for conducting the walk-out.
“In the face of these scare tactics of this escalation, we must fight back,” Saba said. “We must be outspoken and even more so in our robustness, our solidarity with Palestine, our solidarity with Mahmoud and our opposition to this entire machine.”
Khalil, who completed his graduate studies at Columbia University in December, was detained by federal immigration agents in New York Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
Khalil was a lawful resident of the United States on a green card and married to an American citizen who is currently eight months pregnant, according to AP.
Saba, addressing the crowd, continued to encourage people to speak up and use their voices in solidarity with Palestine.
“I want to make it very clear, the only moral choice in the face of these horrific atrocities being committed with our money and supported by our institutions is to fight back,” Saba said.
After Saba and two other student activists finished their speeches, the crowd continued to march up Bascom Hill.
A protester holding a Palestinian flag led the group up Bascom Hill, with many others carrying signs and Palestinian flags.
The arrest of Khalil from Columbia is warned to be the first of many, according to an Instagram post by President Trump.
On Monday, the Department of Education sent a letter to 60 higher education institutions under investigation for Title VI violations regarding antisemitic harassment and discrimination, warning them of potential enforcement actions. UW is among one of the 60 institutions listed.
UW sent out a press release Tuesday condemning the antisemitism in all forms, in response to the Title VI complaints.
In front of Bascom Hall, protesters continued to chant before ASM candidate Gabo Raul Ochoa Samoff spoke about the importance of the upcoming ASM student government election. Ochoa Samoff emphasized the importance of student government and their involvement in issues like student protesting and free speech.
“The disruption of the Board of Regents, the encampment, these races for student government are all part of this broader program,” Ochoa Samoff said. “We are all fighting for Palestine.”
On Monday, federal judges ordered that Khalil not be deported while the court looks at the legal challenges brought by his lawyers, according to AP.
