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Smith Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) kicked off their organizing efforts for the new academic year at their rally in front of the Campus Center on Thursday, Sept. 12. Smith SJP advertised the event in an Instagram post with the headline: “we will not stop; we will not rest.” Sept. 12 is SJP’s National Day of Action.
The rally focused on raising awareness and maintaining the momentum of the cause of Palestinian liberation, despite diminished press coverage on Palestine and student activist movements in the United States throughout the summer months. The conditions for Gazans are “more horrific than ever,” despite the fact that we may be “seeing less news” about the conflict, Simran Baveja ’27, a member of SJP said. The struggle for Palestinian liberation did not end with commencement, as Smith College continues to invest in military contractors who provide weapons for Israel.
“We wanted to show people that after summer happened and things died down, they haven’t heard about universities resisting as much, we’re still very much here and wanting to show them that we will do whatever it takes for divestment and for the liberation of Palestine as a whole,” said Aria Khalique ’25, a member of SJP.
Many students and community members gathered on the steps of the Campus Center, as the rally began with a series of speeches from SJP members. Baveja shared testimonials from a young woman, Nansy, living in Gaza. She spoke about how many of those living in Gaza are increasingly relying on appealing to people via social media for funds and basic necessities due to the lack of aid they have been receiving.
Members of SJP also distributed flyers to attendees with a QR code to send aid to Nansy. The flier read: “Nansy is living in constant terror and unimaginably inhumane conditions. Her father was killed when the IOF bombed their home, and she went from a normal 20 y/o student to now being responsible for her and her mother’s survival under genocide.”
The student organizers emphasized that SJP depends on the support of the community to affect change, and they urged Smith students to continue showing up to rallies. Rinal Dahhan ’27 said that SJP was “explosive” last year, and it is their intention to maintain their presence on campus. Khalique said SJP is eager to get more students involved — particularly first-years, those who were abroad last year and anyone else who may be interested.
After the speakers concluded their remarks, they led a march to College Hall, reminding students of the occupation of the building that lasted for 13 days last semester. The momentum continued along the way with various members of the procession leading chants such as “Expose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.”
The chanting continued as the rally assembled around the entrance to college hall. Although the rally ended around 12:45 to allow students to get lunch before afternoon classes, many stuck around to chat with SJP members afterwards and learn about the work they do.
Over the “quieter” summer months, SJP continued their work by collaborating with the Smith College School for Social Work. Khalique personally ran a STEM reading group that focused on how different STEM disciplines can relate to oppression as a whole. She emphasized the importance of those entering STEM fields being aware of how they might be complicit in the oppression of others and, most importantly, how to resist that involvement.
The rally emphasized that SJP is continuing to pursue their goals from last semester — working towards Smith’s divestment, providing aid in the ways they can to those in Palestine and mobilizing the community towards Palestinian liberation. Dahhan said: “The only way out is through, and the only way through is together.”
