SCPL protester

SCPL protester during the sit-in at the Oklahoma Memorial Union on March 7.

 Annie Davenport/OU Daily

Over 150 students gathered in the Oklahoma Memorial Union food court Thursday afternoon to protest the ongoing war in Gaza — five months after the conflict began. 

But while protesters gathered at the same time and place, they came to the Union with two different goals in mind: to voice support for either Palestine or Israel.

Sitting at wooden tables, standing on chairs and occupying the spaces between, the majority of protesters attended the pro-Palestine sit-in hosted by the Student Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, a student organization that aims to build solidarity between OU’s community and the Palestinian cause through education and demonstrations.

The coalition advertised the sit-in in an Instagram post Monday, calling for students to unite "to show the university that we don't stand for genocide or colonialism." SCPL members said the sit-in also served as an opportunity for the coalition to draw attention back to the demands it listed for OU during a pro-Palestine protest in October.

"We have watched this genocide unfold on our phones, and our laptops and our televisions; we are filled with emotions, rage, grief and guilt. Guilt because we know that our tax dollars are going directly to fund this genocide," a spokesperson for SCPL said at the beginning of the protest Thursday. 

"We must not succumb to feelings of hopelessness. Palestinians fight every day for their lives, their land, their liberation. Who are we to give up? Who are we to feel helpless? This is why we are here," the spokesperson said, followed by cheers and applause from the crowd.

Gathered beside the entrance of the Clarke-Anderson room, a small number of students — approximately 10 — joined OU College Republicans Chairman Anthony Diulio in a counter-protest for Israel. 

There, Diulio raised a sign reading "Remember Oct. 7. Israel has a right to self defense," while other students held an Israeli flag and pieces of paper with the words "Stand with Israel." 

"I felt that this would be a good opportunity to voice the Israeli voices, because I think that they have been silenced a lot," Diulio said at the beginning of the protest. "I don't think we've really heard the Israeli side here at OU."

After hearing of the pro-Palestine protest, Diulio crafted an email advertising a pro-Israel "counter-protest" to be held at the same time and place as the pro-Palestine sit-in. OU Professor Gary Barksdale, faculty advisor of the OU College Republicans, sent the mass email to OU students Tuesday on Diulio's behalf.

OU Mass Mail guidelines state emails to OU students may be used by registered student organizations and university departments to communicate about university department or registered student organization events and programs. The full-time faculty or staff adviser of the registered student organization may send mass emails to OU students on behalf of the organization. 

OU College Republicans is a registered student organization, SCPL is not.

The guidelines stipulate that any mass email must clearly identify who the email was sent to, include OUMM in the subject line, include the name and department of the sender and the full-time faculty or staff adviser who approved and initiated the mass email. The guidelines do not include any stipulations for the content of mass emails.

SCPL released a statement Thursday after the protests responding to the mass email sent to students advertising the pro-Israel counter protest. 

SCPL wrote in the statement the mass email "adopted hateful and reactionary rhetoric" by calling on the "rational minds" of OU to protest in support of Israel. SCPL wrote it believes the language of the email was intended to distract from SCPL's objectives for the sit-in and that it suggested SCPL would employ violence during the event. 

"That has never been true and was disproven today yet again," SCPL wrote, adding the coalition is not looking to incite violence but to demand justice and the liberation of Palestine. 

SCPL reiterated in the statement that the coalition was not involved in the February "suspicious package" incident where a pro-Palestine display was left in front of the Gaylord College, prompting a two-and-a-half-hour long response from OUPD and the Norman Police Department. 

"The authors of the email went so far as to suggest we were connected to the "suspicious package" incident," SCPL wrote in the statement. "If they had read our statement and the article put out by OU Daily following the incident, they would know that this implication has no basis and can be easily dismissed."

OUPD determined the pro-Palestine display was not a threat and decided not to charge the individual who placed the objects in front of Gaylord, citing the First Amendment right to free speech. 

"Nothing will deter us from continuing to fight for this objective, including this email," SCPL wrote in the statement Thursday. "OU SCPL stands with the hundreds of students who came out today to protest the university's complicity in Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza and against the Zionist occupation. Our numbers are only growing and we will not relent."

Read the full statement here:

Download PDF SCPL OUMM Statement

OU News wrote in a statement following the protests that OU supports students' first amendment rights to free speech and expression.

"This requires us to allow all perspectives to be heard while ensuring we foster a university community where all members feel supported, respected and valued," OU News wrote.

Diulio wrote in the mass email that the protest is an opportunity for OU students to show their support for Israel. 

"Many students are fearful, or are too afraid to speak; that there's no voice for the Israelis in this fight," Diulio wrote. "We will change that and ensure that Israeli voices are heard."

At the protest, Diulio told OU Daily he hopes the pro-Israel protest will demonstrate to OU students that there is a voice for Israel at the university. Diulio said he had received several emails in response to the mass email from students saying they planned to attend the protest. 

Jude B., an OU junior who requested that their last name not be disclosed, said they want to be a voice for the Israeli students who may be afraid to speak out. 

"We are here to be a voice for the Jewish people. We are here to be a voice for Israel, we are here to show that even though there are fewer of us … there is support for Israel," Jude said.

Across the food court, the spokesperson from SCPL listed the coalition's demands for OU, which included releasing a statement condemning the crimes against Palestinians; halting study abroad trips to Israel and cutting ties with partner universities there; and providing free mental health support for Palestinian students, faculty and staff from specialized Arab health care providers. 

Petitions for these demands were left on tables throughout the food court for students to sign. 

As the spokesperson concluded their speech, the pro-Palestine protesters began singing liberation songs while a few students beat on drums — "I hear the voice of my ancestors call, singing wake up, wake up, child, wake up, wake up, listen, listen, listen." 

A Palestinian student then stood on a chair and used the megaphone to urge those in the food court to stand with the pro-Palestine cause. 

"The situation is only becoming more dire and we cannot resist it without everyone's help," the student said. "We owe it to the Palestinians to continue this fight as they have done for the past 75 years."

Throughout the two-hour-long protests, a slogan would be raised from within the crowd, quickly joined by those around them until the group of protesters shouted it in unison. 

At one point, the pro-Palestine protesters chanted "Ceasefire now!" In the corner of the food court, a much quieter "Hamas said no!" rose from the pro-Israel group. 

On the outskirts of the crowd, four "pro-American" protesters stood with U.S. and Donald Trump flags. 

"We're with neither side, we're just here supporting America," said Carson, a sophomore energy management student who requested not to include his last name. "I think that the United States should be focusing our assets on our country, not on other countries."

On the opposite side of the food court, a group of students from different ministries across campus said they were there to "let people know that they're loved." 

"We're here to let people know that regardless of their beliefs, whether their pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, they are loved and they are not hated," said Andrew Carter, a senior mechanical engineering student.

Both SCPL and OU College Republicans notified OUPD of the protests. The Division of Student Affairs said in a statement to OU Daily that both OUPD and Campus Event Response Team members would be present at the protests to monitor the situation and provide support as needed.

CERT was established to support student well-being during free speech activities, demonstrations, protests and other campus events, according to the division's statement. 

Trained responders are asked to be on-site to provide observations, attend to student needs and be a general staff presence during select events where there is a potential for counter demonstrations or emotional triggers and responses. 

OUPD policy is not to engage or interfere with people lawfully protesting unless it is determined public safety is presently or about to be jeopardized, in which case OUPD is authorized to attempt to verbally persuade participants to disperse of their own accord.

OUPD Police Chief Nate Tarver said six OUPD officers were present during the protests. Chase Abbott, interim OU fire marshal, said three members from the OU Fire Marshal's Office were present as well. Abbott said capacity for the food court is 350 people, but that he was unsure how many people were present during the protests. 

Abbott said the fire marshal members worked to ensure all pathways in the food court were clear throughout the protests. Tarver said that while there was a minor dispute between a pro-Israel and a pro-Palestine protesters, no major altercations occurred. 

"We just want to ensure everybody's safe and has an opportunity to speak, to say what they have to say," Tarver said. 

This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ismael Lele and Peggy Dodd.

Separate pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests took place in the Oklahoma Memorial food court Thursday in reaction to the war in Gaza. Check out our best footage from the afternoon:

Filmed by Kaly Phan and Cassidy Martin

Edited by Kaly Phan and Cassidy Martin

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