Demonstrators rally at Santa Rosa Junior College against Israel-Hamas war

Waving Palestinian flags and holding pro-Palestine signs, students and faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College marched to the edge of campus Thursday where they gathered along Mendocino Avenue to condemn the killing of civilians in Gaza.

“Viva, viva Palestina,” the group chanted as the rhythmic sound of beating drums echoed in the background. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.”

The slogan refers to the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and while many demonstrators have used it to express support for the cause of Gaza and to call for peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis, it has also been interpreted by some as a phrase that supports the eradication of Israel and annihilation of Jews in the region.

The rally punctuated an afternoon demonstration on the SRJC campus hosted by the SRJC Middle Eastern North African Association Student Club that attracted more than 200 people.

Demonstrators demanded an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, an end to military aid to Israel and greater protections for Palestinian rights.

Alya Owaidat, a student organizer with the group, said the event was put on to help bring people of different faiths and backgrounds together and provide a safe space for people to discuss the ongoing conflict and mourn the loss of life.

Owaidat said she was surprised by the turnout, adding that it was “powerful” to stand united with so many of her peers.

The demonstration also was an opportunity for SRJC students to stand in solidarity with fellow students across the country, including at Sonoma State University, who have decried the civilian toll of the war in Gaza and university ties with Israel in protests that have overtaken college campuses in recent weeks.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested, according to the Associated Press, as some universities have turned to local law enforcement to remove demonstrators from campus.

At SRJC, students began gathering shortly before 11:30 a.m. in the Bertolini Quad where a spread of fruit and other food was set up on tables for attendees as music played in the background. Students and community members who joined made signs in support of Palestine while others wrote chalk messages on the sidewalk.

In impassioned speeches, several speakers challenged the crowd to raise their voices to bring awareness to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Remaining silent, they said, was commensurate with siding with “the oppressors.”

Julien Ducarroz, 20, a second-year SRJC student, said the growing list of casualties in Gaza — at least 34,596 Palestinians killed and 77,815 wounded in Israeli attacks, according to local health officials — is unfathomable, and he criticized the U.S. government for continuing to send military aid to Israel.

Israel’s leaders have vowed not to stop their bombardment and ground offensive until Hamas is destroyed. The militant group orchestrated the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to the abduction of 250.

Ducarroz called out President Joe Biden, California Sen. Alex Padilla and U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, for their continuing support of that aid.

“Shame on you,” he said, the crowd booing the elected representatives in unison.

Several students shared stories of families oversees and of seeing the disparities in Gaza during trips abroad to visit family.

Sierra Riak, a Jewish student and secretary of the organization, recounted how her grandmother’s Muslim neighbors sheltered her during Jewish pogroms in the Middle East.

The story, she said, strengthens her faith that the two communities can coexist peacefully one day in the future.

As the speeches ended, attendees stood for a moment of silence before making their way to Mendocino Avenue.

Owaidat and Ducarroz said the group doesn’t have plans for further actions on the SRJC campus but will be supporting students at SSU.

Solen Sanli Vasquez, an SRJC sociology instructor, said she joined Thursday to support her students and to show solidarity to people affected by the war.

“I’m happy to be here in community with my people,” she said.

Originally from Turkey, Sanli Vasquez cofounded the faculty chapter of the Middle Eastern and North African Association in 2022. The group has sought to build rapport among faculty and have conversations about the war and how as a group they can best respond and educate others.

She is among some who are discussing advancing a cease-fire resolution for consideration before the Academic Senate later this year, she said.

“I’m just really proud of us as the JC that we have come together also with our Jewish colleagues who are making their voices heard in favor of peace, and I think that’s a wonderful community that we’ve built,” she said.

This story includes reporting by the Associated Press and the Washington Post. You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @paulinapineda22.