Echoes from protesters’ megaphones bounced off the walls in the IGNITE Backyard on Tuesday.
About 40 protesters chanted “Free! Free! Palestine!” as Humber students protested the invasion of Palestine at Humber College’s North campus on Tuesday.
The student club from the University of Guelph-Humber, Voices for Justice, arranged the protest in support for Palestinian freedom. It was held in The Backyard, an outdoor venue located at the southwest portion of the campus, accessed by F, L, K and KX buildings.
Humber College and Guelph Humber students and faculty gathered in the Ignite Backyard. Photo credit: Santiago Helou Quintero
Isa, the one of the protest organizers, says their community is growing rapidly.
Milah, a Voices for Justice organizer, said they want to keep growing and spreading the word about Palestinian freedom through social media and beyond. She said in-person workshops are among the next events the organization is considering.
Milah and Isa did not reveal their last name for privacy reasons.
“It’s to get to know people around the school and hopefully get to know students here who are Palestinian who don’t really have a voice,” Isa said.
Milah said the group would like to try and organize another protest like the one held in The Backyard.
“We’d like to try another protest again or some kind of gathering like this,” she said. “It was good, everybody had a platform to talk, so we’re going to try having more initiatives around the school.”
Alongside students, there were post-graduates, professors and the general public at the protest advocating for Palestine.
Students call for an end to the occupation and current violence. Photo credit: Santiago Helou Quintero
Cries of “Shame!” punctuated the cold air as various speakers criticized Israel for its violent actions against Palestinian civilians.
“Shame falls upon those who cannot utter the words occupation, apartheid and genocide,” one speaker said.
Blades, an attendee at the protest, said this is her first time supporting Palestinian freedom in-person after seeing posts about it online.
“I think it’s extremely important to have in-person connections because a lot of our activism is mainly online,” Blades said.
Blades said it is important to feel positive when protesting and being around people fighting for the same movement makes her feel more comfortable.
“It tends to feel like you’re in your own world online,” she said. “It might feel like you’re alone and it’s very easy to feel like all of the weight is on you, but there’s people around you that are feeling the same things as you.”
“Palestine will be free,” another speaker said. “The protest does not conclude here, it thrives in every act of solidarity.”