Students for Justice in Palestine hold a protest outside of Student Center South, Wednesday, Oct.22, Houston, TX./ Raphael Fernandez
Oct. 15, Students for Justice in Palestine launched a hunger strike. The strike, involving eight members and still ongoing, was accompanied by a protest on Oct. 22 and a sit-in on Oct. 29. The actions call on UH administrators to divest from companies that the group says are funding the genocide in Palestine.
The Oct. 22 protest began in front of the Student Center South. Demonstrators gathered with speeches and flags, outlining the significance of the hunger strike and their demands.
“It’s been 7 days since some of our students have eaten. We demand that the university divest the 13 million dollars that it has invested in arms manufacturers and other companies that are complicit with genocide in Palestine. We’ve had all different kinds of forms of protest, and we’re at a point where we feel that this is a level of protest that is possible, and is required,” noted a student and one of the SJP leaders, Subhash. His last name is withheld to protect his identity.
Mina, another student who joined the hunger strikers on Oct. 22 and whose last name is withheld to protect her identity, explained why she took part.
“I am a person, and just like me, there are so many people who are suffering in Palestine. My hunger is nothing compared to their suffering, and I want UH to comply with all of our demands,” Mina said.
During the protest, SJP members encouraged attendees to sign a petition outlining their demands and calling on UH to divest.
“I hope we got more signatures on our petition, and I hope we got the attention of a good amount of students today and they’re aware of UH being complicit in the genocide,” Mina said.
Other local community members attended the protest, including Trey, a member of the grassroots group Palestine Solidarity. His last name is withheld to protect his identity.
“It is important for us, even outside of the University, to recognize how important the fight is on campus. The university plays a large role in perpetuating the genocide, even if some of us aren’t students, and just community members, it is important to show support for the students who are fighting for divestment,” Trey said.
The Oct 29 sit-in, inside SCS, was centered around a different angle: student outreach and connection.
Members of the organization gathered on the steps of the student center with keffiyehs, teach-ins and small groups huddled in conversation.
“Our goal is to touch base with the UH student body, faculty and so on. We are 14 days into the hunger strike. We realize that the university administration and the local news media don’t do a good job at raising awareness about actions like these, so we decided to meet students where they frequent the most by creating a little spectacle to pay attention to the UH Sumud hunger strikers,” said student Hamsa Malik, a hunger striker and member of SJP.
As the hunger strikers and members of SJP continue to navigate their efforts and raise awareness, Malik draws attention to the importance of the student body and how they can influence their initiatives.
“We recognize that the average student at UH needs to know what we’re doing and try to have a conversation with us, and understand why we’re doing this. If we’re able to meet the masses where they are, we are sure to succeed,” Malik said.
The University’s response cites that SJP’s demands are a violation of the law, and it would not compromise its broader responsibilities.
“The University has been in contact with SJP Houston to express our concern for the health and safety of these students, and we have encouraged them to seek medical attention and use available campus health resources. We respect our students’ First Amendment right to protest peacefully,” said a University of Houston spokesperson. “We have communicated to SJP that their demands are a violation of law and not under consideration. The University will not engage in actions that violate the law or compromise its broader responsibilities. UH remains committed to supporting the well-being of all members of our campus community.”
The Cougar has chosen not to release identifying information on sources due to safety concerns and a student media alert from the Student Press Law Center.
news@thedailycougar.com
