Gaza invasion spurs vocal student protests
Clare Lynch
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Features
"I hope people will see the rally pass [by], or see it in the news and will investigate the issues further," said participant Zamil Akhtar, a junior at UMass. "If the American people become aware of the suffering on both sides, there will be change."
Some members of Palestinian advocacy groups contend that coverage of the conflict in Gaza is slanted in favor of Israel.
"At Smith, there is a big problem with how information is presented," Guthrie said. "We really only have one viewpoint represented, even in the classrooms."
Michael Feder, president of the UMass Alliance for Israel, disagreed that coverage of the conflict is skewed toward Israel, and said, "Everybody gets upset at Israel." However, Feder agreed with many of the protestors that most students are uninformed about the conflict. He praised the pro-Palestine march as an important exercise of free speech and hoped that the rally would result in a more informed student body.
"There's a lot of information, and it's hard to get it all," Feder said. "It's best to come to protests and other events" hosted by both sides, Feder added. "It's important to get a well-rounded view of the situation."
After the group marched to Amherst, a representative from each of the Five Colleges addressed the crowd. The rally ended with addresses from a Muslim cleric, a representative from the International Socialist Organization and an open mic invitation.
Speakers at the rally condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for American institutions and companies to stop funding the Israeli state.
Mount Holyoke's represented speaker said that Gaza's "sealed borders" and "denial of food and medical supplies" make it "the world's largest prison," and that "Israel's gross human rights violations have been all but ignored by the U.S."
She also said that American "tax dollars make these things possible. To me, this signals that we have a responsibility to the victims."
Some members of Palestinian advocacy groups contend that coverage of the conflict in Gaza is slanted in favor of Israel.
"At Smith, there is a big problem with how information is presented," Guthrie said. "We really only have one viewpoint represented, even in the classrooms."
Michael Feder, president of the UMass Alliance for Israel, disagreed that coverage of the conflict is skewed toward Israel, and said, "Everybody gets upset at Israel." However, Feder agreed with many of the protestors that most students are uninformed about the conflict. He praised the pro-Palestine march as an important exercise of free speech and hoped that the rally would result in a more informed student body.
"There's a lot of information, and it's hard to get it all," Feder said. "It's best to come to protests and other events" hosted by both sides, Feder added. "It's important to get a well-rounded view of the situation."
After the group marched to Amherst, a representative from each of the Five Colleges addressed the crowd. The rally ended with addresses from a Muslim cleric, a representative from the International Socialist Organization and an open mic invitation.
Speakers at the rally condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for American institutions and companies to stop funding the Israeli state.
Mount Holyoke's represented speaker said that Gaza's "sealed borders" and "denial of food and medical supplies" make it "the world's largest prison," and that "Israel's gross human rights violations have been all but ignored by the U.S."
She also said that American "tax dollars make these things possible. To me, this signals that we have a responsibility to the victims."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Basma
posted 2/20/09 @ 10:14 PM EST
There were definitely more than 200 of us there. Official estimates are always too conservative. Good work, everyone. Keep up the momentum.
FXcaliber Forex
posted 3/04/09 @ 12:59 PM EST
I wonder who is behind them
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