A Gaza protest was held at California State University Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, when more than 250 students and other supporters sat peacefully in the university’s Free Speech Area. Organized by Students for Palestinian Liberation, the protest made headline news: Fresno State community holds protest for Palestine. ‘No neutral stance on the genocide’.
The Fresno BEE article about the sit-in had pictures of the students, their flags and signs, and quoted one of the student leaders, a Palestinian:
“I feel a peaceful sit-in is really sending a powerful message here, especially in the Central Valley where we don’t really see any type of student activism like this standing up against the genocide and speaking up against international political issues.”
The Fresno BEE also published an op-ed titled Fresno State protest on Gaza was a model for the nation: peaceful, focused, deliberate. Written by Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, a retired professor of Social Work, Community Development and Peace Studies, the op-ed noted:
University authorities were civil and respectful of students and their rights. There was no violence, no harassment, no intimidation, no antisemitism and no hate speech. All this without the presence of campus or city police nor any armed guards.
Unlike some others throughout the nation, the Fresno State protest remained peaceful. Dr. Kapoor says in his op-ed:
In the U.S. alone there have already been well over 2,000 protesters arrested; about 80 universities have seen protests, rallies and encampments on their campuses, and the number is growing.
Dr. Kapoor emphasizes: “Pro-Palestine students have a legitimate cause to advocate in view of the suffering, pain and near famine conditions experienced by the people in Gaza.” He also noted the hard work that preceded the peaceful protest in Fresno:
My understanding is that pre-protest negotiations (five meeting sessions) between the student leaders and administrators paved the way for this kind of a peaceful protest on the campus.
Moreover, as the Fresno BEE reported, the university president visited the students at their sit-in. When the president was asked if he was taking a side by being at the protest, he replied:
“I’m saying hello to my students.” He told reporters that the university “had a lot of dialogue with our students,” and the conversations have gone well, with opportunities to share information.
A professor of English literature at Fresno State also joined the sit-in to support his students, holding a sign that read “Faculty Against Genocide.” The Fresno BEE quoted him saying:
“As we see at institutions of higher learning across the country, students have a powerful voice.” He explained that his students were concerned about the destruction of universities and the possibility of higher education in Gaza, a phenomenon known as “scholasticide.”
The Fresno BEE also reported that the university president said (in an email shared by a student) that Fresno State was “committed to upholding free speech.”
We firmly believe that a thriving academic environment is one where all perspectives are welcomed and respected and we want to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of every member of our campus community and upholding our Principles of Community.
It also reported that the university has a Free Speech website to answer frequently asked questions about the university’s policies and students’ rights.
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UPDATE: Fresno BEE, May 10
The BEE reported today that the Gaza issue “hasn’t picked up much attention in the San Joaquin Valley.” In an article about upcoming House races, it included one sentence about the CSU Fresno protest:
Around 250 Fresno State students, faculty and staff gathered for a peaceful sit-in showing solidarity with Palestinians last week as the Israel-Hamas war entered its seventh month.
It quoted a Fresno State professor of political science, Tom Holyoke: “I think at Valley universities, the issue has just not resonated. A lot of people here are, frankly, a little more focused on more day-to-day concerns.” eedition.fresnobee.com/… (Page 1)