On March 11, CSUSM student organization Students Supporting Israel (SSI) announced they invited IDF soldiers to speak at CSUSM. The soldiers are involved in “Triggered: The Tour,” a series of nationwide talks hosted at college campuses where the soldiers discuss their experiences in Gaza and hope for Zionism in Israel and on campus. The talk at CSUSM was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 25.
In the weeks leading up to the event, more than 800 community members signed a petition opposing the event. The petition cited a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and reports from the United Nations (UN) that stated Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the definition of apartheid and genocide. Since IDF soldiers carry out the Israeli government’s military actions, activists vehemently protested the two IDF soldiers coming to CSUSM.
On March 25, around 5 p.m., a student reported seeing a K-9 unit at Kellogg Plaza. The Chronicle also encountered a K-9 unit around the same time.
At 5:30, pro-Palestine protestors from nine local activist groups gathered in Kellogg Plaza and held a protest. The organizations included:
- The CSUSM chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Students for Quality Education (SQE)
- The San Diego chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), the Center for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), BDS San Diego, North County for Palestine, and Codepink San Diego
Around 100 people attended, with activists from across Southern California encouraged to attend via Instagram.
CAIR-San Diego member Tazheen Nizam stated that CAIR attended to support students and their right to free speech. In recent weeks, students received disciplinary action for protesting outside the Social Mobility Symposium on February 20. Students and their allies, such as CAIR, believe students have the right to free speech and the right to protest on their campus. When asked about the Free Palestine movement, Nizam said CAIR fights for all marginalized groups, especially Black and Brown communities.
“And, as you know, it is the month of Ramadan so most of us here are fasting,” Nizam said, “So we’re hangry right now…and really disappointed and hurt that the university has no value for student voices, no concern for its community.”
Nizam pointed to the crowd and said, “There’s community members around this campus who have been part of this city and its growth for 50 plus years and many of them are graduates of CSU San Marcos and CSU San Marcos today has turned its back on its Palestinian students, telling them that their concerns, their lives, their families do not matter.”
Community members shared their voices through chanting, waving signs and banners, and delivering speeches. CSUSM Faculty member, Dr. Jason Magabo Perez, expressed his solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and his frustration with the university permitting the IDF soldiers to speak at CSUSM:
“I am here in principle with unflinching solidarity with all peoples across the world struggling to end the unrelenting violations and violences of colonialism…settler colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism,” Perez said.
Many CSUSM students passing by stayed to watch the protestors and expressed solidarity. One student who attended a pro-Palestine protest last spring said, “I’m glad the cause has not been lost,” however she thinks CSUSM administration is not listening to their students. “We don’t want the IDF soldiers to be here,” she continued.
Ignacio, a history major, looked at the protestors and shared, “I feel proud to see the community come together and being able to watch this is a privilege…I feel almost at peace.”
Around 7 p.m., protesters left Kellogg Plaza and marched towards McMahan House where the IDF soldier event was being held. The event was originally going to be held in the Academic Hall and its location was changed multiple times.
Protesters approached the McMahan house with chants and drumming. At least 19 University Police Department (UPD) officers blocked the entrance to the building. One officer had no visible identification. All officers were present wearing riot gear and had batons.
Activists chanted, “UPD, KKK, IDF, [you’re] all the same.”
Many protestors recorded officers and waved signs in their faces. Eventually, officers yelled that if protestors did not move away from the officers, or returned to Kellogg Plaza, they would be “forced back.” No injuries or violence took place at any point during the protest. The hour and a half SSI event ended at around 8 p.m. and protesters began to disperse around that time.
The protest ended at half past 8 p.m.
Protestors continued to reflect a sentiment expressed by CAIR member Nizam, who asked the Chronicle, “Why did the administration not have the decency to cancel this event despite so many signatures, letters, emails asking them to cancel it?”