From walkouts to full-on demonstrations, students commemorated the October 7 anniversary on college campuses in Los Angeles based along ideological lines.
At USC, hundreds of pro-Paletinian protestors staged a walkout, rallying outside the campus.
“We’re here to honor our martyrs over the past year and to continue to reaffirm our steadfastness and commitment to Palestinian liberation and resistance,” said a USC student who did not want to reveal her identity. “It’s been one year of ongoing genocide, 100 years of occupation. There is no reason why we should not be commemorating today and I think our community will definitely reflect that.”
Some students, however, found Monday’s protests to be inconsiderate.
“Would I protest on October 7? I would not,” USC freshman Ari Siegel told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “It’s just a little disrespectful, this day was a tragedy to a lot of people that I know. I know people in Israel that suffered from this horrific day.”
Several Jewish organizations gathered near the Tommy Trojan statue Monday evening to remember the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks.
“We’re commemorating the single largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” said Jonathan Silverman, the co-president of the USC Jewish Law Students Association.
The gathering took place amid heavy campus security. In the spring, protestors clashed with police after attempting to set up a pro-Palestinian encampment – leading to commencement ceremonies being canceled.
“I think the university has taken very seriously the responsibility to protect all of its students, and in such an ideologically charged environment,” said Robert Williams, the executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation. “They’re taking the right precautions while allowing students the opportunity to learn, practice freedom of speech, and to exercise their rights as students and as citizens.”
No incidents were reported at USC or UCLA as a result of Monday’s events.
