SF State students join college campuses protesting war in Gaza
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Students protested the Israel-Hamas war at San Francisco State University on Monday. They set up tents on the quad and became the latest university where students erected a pro-Palestinian encampment.
It's just the latest setting where demonstrators are voicing their displeasure about what's unfolding in Gaza. This comes as demonstrations continue at Stanford and UC Berkeley, where students have also set up tent encampments.
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"We want to be part of that," said Jacob, an SFSU student who did not want to share his last name. "There is strength in numbers and strength in solidarity, so we think it is important that we get our voices heard."
The gathering began on Malcolm X Plaza around noon. They first held a rally and then went to the nearby quad to start setting up tents. Their demands are similar to those of other students around the country.
"We ask the CSU system to divest from the hundreds of millions of dollars they are funneling in the military-industrial complex," Jacob said.
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It's urging the administration to do three things:
- Refrain from dispatching police forces against potential student demonstrations
- Refrain from academic retaliation against students
- Respect students' right to protest on campus
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Other faculty members say the war in Gaza has dominated class discussions.
"This campus has historically contributed to anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist from the 1960s to today," said Valerie Francisco-Menchavez, an associate professor of Sociology. "I think a lot of students are just trying to understand what their role is in Gaza and in the West Bank, and what their role is in different political conflicts around the world."
The San Francisco Hillel chapter says they support free speech, but they don't want Jewish students to be threatened.
"As long as things are peaceful and respectful, it's fine," said Roger Feigelson, the Executive Director of SF Hillel. "My concern is when it crosses over into anti-Semitism, and I don't think there is an understanding of the nuance of going from anti-Israel to antisemitism."
The protestors claim their demonstrations are not antisemitic.
"Claims that protests like this are antisemitic threats the Jewish student body as a monolith, which they are not," Jacob said. "I personally am a Jewish student here. I have never felt unsafe."
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