US Students Pro-Palestinian Demonstration Continues to Approach the White House

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Washington DC –

Scream’Palestine Merdeka’ was greeted with cheers when dozens of Georgetown University students arrived at the location of the protest at the neighboring campus, George Washington University (GW), which is in the heart of the United States (US) capital. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations by students in the US continue to spread despite arrests last week.

Reported Al-Jazeera, Friday (26/4/2024), students, professors and activists from all over the Washington DC area, gathered on Thursday (25/4) local time to show solidarity with Palestinians amidst the war in Gaza. They demand an end to what they call their universities’ involvement in human rights violations committed by Israel.

Students at GW have set up campgrounds as a form of protest on campus. They joined pro-Palestinian demonstrations that hit colleges across the country.

“We are here to show support for students at GW and also to convey the demands of all students in DC, namely to divest from companies involved in weapons manufacturing and Israeli apartheid, as well as severing ties with Israeli universities because of their involvement in genocide Israel in Palestine,” said Georgetown student Anna Wessels.

The GW encampment brought the college protests sweeping the nation to a campus within blocks of the White House and the U.S. Department of State. Wessels emphasized the importance of the protests taking place at the heart of the US federal government, where US President Joe Biden approved 26 billion dollars in aid to Israel a few days ago.

Photo: US students hold pro-Palestinian demonstration (Getty Images via AFP/ANNA MONEYMAKER)

“If we don’t do anything in D.C., then we’re not fulfilling our moral responsibility,” Wessels said.

Some students said they remained focused on Gaza and Palestine, where the Israeli military has killed more than 34,000 people and mass graves continue to be discovered.

“This whole encampment was created around every message that was conveyed around the genocide in Gaza and centered all the demands on Gaza,” said an activist with the Palestinian Youth Movement, Mimi Ziad.

“This is not about students. This is about Gaza. This is about all of Palestine,” he continued.

Students wearing keffiyehs gathered on GW’s tent-filled lawn around a statue of the first US president, George Washington. Protesters simultaneously voiced their support for Palestine, condemning Israel for its violations

“George Washington said liberate Palestine,” read the writing on paper attached to the statue.

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