Members of OU Students for Justice in Palestine protested inside Evans Hall after the OU Board of Regents meeting was moved to Oklahoma City on Monday.
The group of about 50 protesters began by chanting “OU, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” and marching from the Oklahoma Memorial Union courtyard to outside Evans Hall, which houses the offices of OU's president and regents. Protesters held signs and a banner that read “Divest from Death.”
Wearing black and white keffiyehs while carrying Palestinian flags, students called for the OU Board of Regents to divest from its corporate partners with financial ties to the war in Gaza, including Lockheed Martin, Motorola and Chevron.
Cruz R., an organizer of the protest, told OU Daily that the turnout showed how many students cared about divestment.
“The students are here and they’re angry and they’re done with OU … being complicit in this maddening genocide,” Cruz said. “We’ve made it very clear to OU that the students want divestment from Lockheed Martin, Chevron, Motorola and other companies that are complicit in the genocide that Israel has done to the Palestinian peoples.”
The Board of Regents meeting, which was originally set to meet at the Oklahoma Memorial Union on Tuesday, changed the location of the meeting to the OU Health Campus late last week. The meeting will be held Tuesday morning.
When asked if SJP had plans to protest the Board of Regents meeting Tuesday, Cruz said he could not comment on the matter.
Yasmine Ali, an organizer of the protest, wrote in a text to OU Daily Sunday that the organization originally planned to protest during the meeting on Monday. Cruz said he believes the Board of Regents moved its meeting to avoid SJP.
“They want to avoid us because they’re scared,” Cruz said. “Their fear and their attitude of not wanting to see their students is frightening, not just to me as an organizer, or to me as an individual who supports Palestine, but to me as a student.”
Cruz said that SJP has sent letters and emails to university administration urging it to divest but has not received a response. He also criticized OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. for his remarks promoting free speech on campus, which he said were hypocritical.
“Harroz wants to point out some free speech, but free speech isn't removing our flags,” Cruz said. “Free speech isn't marching over flags that represent our martyrs. Free speech isn't telling us to be quiet or not using megaphones during protests.”
OU Marketing and Communications wrote in an email to OU Daily Monday night that the protest at Evans Hall prompted “repeated warning” and university response in accordance with campus policy.
“The matter remains subject to applicable student conduct processes, and any reports will be reviewed and addressed as appropriate,” the email reads. “Individuals with related concerns are encouraged to submit a report through OU Report It! The University remains committed to maintaining a safe and respectful campus environment.”
The group protested outside of the president’s office in Evans Hall, chanting “Harroz, you’re a sellout; pack your bags and get the hell out.”
Mohamed Elgouhari, a biology and economics senior and president of the OU Muslim Student Association, said he was there as an individual, not on behalf of the organization. As a student, Elgouhari emphasized what he is fighting for in partnership with SJP.
“We were loud in there,” Elgouhari said. “We got our point across. … I’m really happy and I’m proud of everyone that came.”
OU Turning Point USA counterprotest
OU Turning Point USA held a counterprotest of about five people led by its president, Kalib Magana. Before the protest began, Magana told OU Daily he believes SJP protesters are hypocritical and that divestment is unachievable.
“They’re calling for the university to divest from these companies, yet they’re giving the university money by being here on tuition, so they’re being very hypocritical,” Magana said. “If they’re calling for the university to divest from genocide, then they’re actually more complicit in their alleged genocide than the university is.”
Magana attempted multiple times to address the crowd while holding American and Israeli flags, which prompted protesters to block Magana, forcing him away from SJP speakers.
When asked about Turning Point’s presence at the protest, Cruz said the organization’s political values have no room there.
“We stand against genocide and all of its factors, and if (Turning Point) USA wants to stand for genocide, that's their prerogative, but we won't have any part of that,” Cruz said.
Throughout the protest, Magana also handed members of SJP printed job applications.
“We’re handing out McDonald’s applications, then they’ll probably be interested in picking up a new hobby instead of protesting in the freezing cold about a war that’s over,” Magana said.
Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Students for Justice in Palestine background
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched a series of attacks on Israel that killed around 1,200 people, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The attack set off a series of retaliations by the Israeli Defense Force, including a siege of Gaza, that characterized the war in Gaza. According to the Associated Press, as of early November, over 69,000 Palestinians have been reported dead or presumed dead.
Since the war in Gaza began, SJP, formerly known as the OU Student Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, has hosted numerous events to raise awareness.
On the two-year mark of the war in Gaza, SJP held an art demonstration and prayer in front of Evans Hall.
The protest featured seven posters of OU Regents lined up on the steps of Evans Hall, where OU’s administrative offices, including the offices of the president and regents, are housed. The signs read, “Wanted for: Genocide.” Children’s clothing covered in red paint was draped across the steps and stuffed animals were wrapped in white sheets to symbolize dead bodies.
During the March Board of Regents meeting at the Oklahoma Memorial Union, OU’s Campus Event Response Team and law enforcement removed about 50 members of SJP after they disrupted the meeting with calls for divestment.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza and Natalie Armour.
