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BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) — Unrest continues at colleges and universities across the country. Demonstrators from New York’s Colombia University to California’s Cal State are addressing the war in Gaza.
On Friday, April 26, protests began much closer to home, though it was a much more peaceful scene at Virginia Tech than in many other places. Hokie students demonstrated for over 10 hours on Friday.
Early in the day, student organizers erected tents and provided food throughout the day for protestors, as they plan to demonstrate for the next few days or until the university meets their demands.
One of the things that we have been deriving from other universities like Columbia University and this massive struggle for “Free Palestine” is that there is a level of inspiration and hope,” said Emon Green, a fourth-year student and media spokesperson for the group.
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Early morning on Friday, April 26, a group of protestors was reported to have gathered with signs and tents on the campus of Virginia Tech.(Photo Credit: Emaryi Williams)
Students are demanding Virginia Tech divest from Israel, become more transparent about their endowments, issue an official statement condemning Israel’s violence, define anti-Palestinian racism, and acknowledge suppression they believe Palestinian and allied students have faced on campus.
“VT along with a lot of other institutions are complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and their continuing to fund people that are contributing to this genocide like a state like Israel. It’s good that the students are all coming out to go against that and I wanted to be a part of that,” said Cassidy Mieses, a second-year grad student.
Students have been passing out flyers saying tech funds drone research and is a part of the Virginia Israel advisory board. In a statement from the university, Virginia Tech said the gathering was not registered with them and officials and officials and police have responded to let protesters know.
However, not everyone was supporting Palestine, on Friday. One man came onto the campus with his daughter in pro-Israeli support.
“I’m not out here to say everything the Israeli government does is right, I’m here to say that this is wrong. If you’re going to have a protest for peace, you can’t include Hamas,” said Jonathan Silverman, a Jewish Protestor, “I want peace as bad as they do. I don’t want to see bombs dropped on anybody, but there’s no pressure on the people starting this.”
Organizers tell WFXR that police have told them they can stay as long as they take down the tents they had up earlier. Protestors say they plan to be here for the next three to four days.
