The Israel-Hamas war is further dividing students at Brooklyn College with different opinions about the conflict as well as history in the region.
Crowded behind NYPD barricades, dozens of Brooklyn College students demonstrated in support of Palestinians just outside of the college’s campus Thursday.
“Everyone is silent when it comes to Palestinians’ defending themselves with barely anything,” said pro-Palestinian demonstrator Sarah Khan. ”They don’t have a military like Israel does because they’re funded by the U.S. with billions of dollars. I think they need to be heard.”
Khan joined the demonstrators in chanting slogans in support of Palestinians, particularly in and around Gaza, which is bearing the brunt of Israel’s retaliatory operations against Hamas following its attacks on Israel Saturday.
“They’re a Muslim country and they’re harming the Muslim people,” said Brooklyn College student, Kalsoom Fatima.
“I feel like protest may not help. I feel like the way to help is to donate to either side you support,” said Sammy Fauz, who also attends Brooklyn College.
Most pro-Palestinian demonstrators would not talk to NY1. Organizers instructed them not to speak to media. So questions about whether their support for Palestinians extended to the terror group Hamas and its targeting of civilians went unanswered. However, NY1 didn’t find any signs supporting Hamas.
A heavy police presence kept the peace as emotions ran high as pro-Israeli spectators eventually held a counter protest.
“I feel the pain of the civilians dying in Gaza and wherever they may be,” said Yitzchak Friedman, a pro-Israeli demonstrator. “These protesters, I think they’re misguided.”
“When we can mourn for each other’s dead, then this crisis will resolve overnight,” said Brooklyn College professor David Brodsky. “But until we can do that, this is unfortunately an irresolvable crisis.”
The pro-Palestinian rally was initially supposed to be held on campus but was moved to a public space on Bedford Avenue near Campus Road, which Brooklyn College does not control.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Brooklyn College has emphasized that students are acting on their own.
“We want to be clear that we don’t condone the activities of any internal organizations that are sponsoring rallies to celebrate or support Hamas’s cowardly actions. Such efforts do not in anyway represent the university, and its campuses,” the statement reads.
“That’s embarrassing,” said Khan. “It really is embarrassing because I was on campus yesterday and there were Israelis on campus and they were allowed to protest. But when we protest, we can’t? That doesn’t really make any sense to me.”