Juliana Trujillo

Students for Socialism led the protest outside Corbett Center Student Union. Participants chanted and told personal stories of their families in Palestine. Oct. 17, 2023.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” New Mexico State University students shouted outside Corbett Center Student Union to show support of the Palestinian people in light of the recent events in Gaza. In a protest led by Students for Socialism, group members and supporters held a picket line to protest the Israeli government’s actions and the United States’ nearly $4 billion in funding to Israel. 

The conflict erupted onto the world stage on Oct. 7, after years of ongoing unrest and combat that dates back to 1948 when Israel gained control of the Gaza strip. The Israeli government launched an offensive effort in Gaza after the Hamas group breached the border fence separating the two countries.  

The protestors sought to calmly bring awareness to the destruction occurring and educate the student body about what’s happening in the Middle East. 

Celeste Romero, the president of Students for Socialism, illustrated the conditions that the citizens of Gaza are facing.  

“All food, electricity and fuel has been cut off from Gaza,” Romero said. “The Israeli government says this is justified because the people who live in Gaza are ‘human animals’… any people subjected to this kind of oppression will eventually use force to defend themselves.” 

Palestine has been under Israeli occupation for 56 years and the seizure of Gaza has been enduring for two decades. During this period, entire lineages of Palestinian families have been wiped out, while Israeli militant forces have been bombing hospitals, schools, and ministries, as well as blocking all telecommunication.  

Many protesters look to publicize the aspects of colonialism surrounding the conflict. 

“When you look at this situation through the eyes of colonialism, it’s easy to see who the oppressed and who the oppressor is,” one protestor said. “They’re walled off into small densely populated areas that are being bombed. What else do you call it? What else is it? It’s a genocide.” 

The group expressed that this is not a protest of religion but rather a call for human rights as they shouted, “Anti-zionism is not anti-semitism.” 

Protestors also denoted the differences between the situation being coined as a war versus a conflict.  

“You cannot compare the levels of violence between Palestinians and the so-called state of Israel,” one protestor said. “We need to be mindful of the language we are using and reject the fabricated nuance claiming it’s a war.”    

Many NMSU students gathered around the protest and witnessed the efforts of the group.  

“I support that they are exercising their freedom of speech to come out here and express their opinions,” Joel Martinez said. “They are showing solidarity with a group of people that are currently under duress by two states—the U.S. and Israel— and I am in full support, and I like what they’re doing, they’re organized well. I enjoyed the fact that they’re doing it right.” 

After the protest, Dr. Manal Hamzeh, an NMSU faculty member, discussed how revolutionary and heartwarming it was to see such a demonstration take place in support for Gaza and the people of Palestine. 

“I’ve been here 20 years; this is a moment that I have not seen as a student nor as a faculty,” Hamzeh said. “I appreciate every single one of you who stood up here to speak to free Palestine. It is a call for all of us, whether we understand what’s going on or not.”