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Pentagon event inspires protest “to push for a ceasefire” in Gaza

A protestor waves a Palestinian flag in front of Corbett Center Student Union. March 28, 2024.
A protestor waves a Palestinian flag in front of Corbett Center Student Union. March 28, 2024.
David Castañeda

Protesters from a pro-Palestine organization in Las Cruces gathered in front of Corbett Center Student Union on Thursday, March 28 to protest the job fair, Taking the Pentagon to the People.” The protestors’ stated goal was to dissuade people from working for the Department of Defense and to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

“And [we’re here] also, just to encourage people to push for a ceasefire like everyone here. Just let them know that we’re not supporting the DOD and that [attendees] are supporting murder,” said a protestor, who wished to be kept anonymous. 

 They took issue with the job fair event because of continuous U.S. funding to Israel throughout the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza strip. The nation has been giving aid to Israel since 1949. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States gave $3.6 billion in military aid to Israel in 2023 and is posed to continue its aid throughout 2024. 

A protestor raises his fist in solidarity for Palestinians. March 28, 2024. (David Castañeda)

“Bringing the Pentagon to the people? What do they bring to the people of Palestine? They bring bombs and guns…” a protestor said. 

Since October 2023, college students have protested on campuses across the United States on both sides of the issue. The ongoing conflict in Gaza is often a contentious issue because of the diverse religious and ethnic identities of students. NMSU Students for Socialism held a protest in October similar to this one. 

As part of their protest against the DOD, activists wrote messages in chalk on the sidewalks of campus, covering the pavement in front of Corbett and parked military tanks. 

“We have some signs and some [messages] on the sidewalk,” a protester said. “It says ‘Blood Money’ and also ‘Tryouts for Oil Companies,’ right? They were parked right there next to them, but after we put our stuff, they moved their [tanks] over there. You know what I mean? So, there they are.” 

Protestors then wrote more messages next to the tanks’ new location, where they stayed the rest of the day. Many of the messages written around campus targeted the U.S. military, saying things like “military are murderers” and “Department of deaths.” 

Chadwick Pilkington, the Community Outreach Chair of the Student Veterans Organization, expressed his anger about the messages, saying they reminded him of messages that were propagated during the Vietnam War.

“[Veterans] came back to an America that hated them and shunned them, which made everything worse. If we don’t address the increasing amount of targeted speech, I feel like there’s a distinct possibility that we will relive that,” Pilkington said. 

He also discussed his frustration with the university for not taking any action against the messages.

Pedestrian argues with a member of the Pro-Palestine organization in defense of Israel. March 28, 2024. (David Castañeda)

“I know that this type of rhetoric is going to continue,” Pilkington said. “And until the university puts their foot down and says, ‘Hey, you can have freedom speech, but you can’t call out or single out groups of individuals,’ it’s going to get worse.”

Taking the Pentagon to the People was a two-day affair hosted in CCSU on March 27 and 28. The event involved panels, speakers, and tabling. Recruiters from various organizations informed students about the careers they offered to students in all majors. 

“We bring this program to try to educate not only the faculty and staff, but the students as to the opportunities of working for the federal government; more specifically with us in the Department of Defense,” explained Therron Thomas, a recruiter for Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana. 

Recruiters at TTPTTP emphasized that internships and jobs with the Department of Defense are important for students beginning their careers. 

“There is a lot of theoretical stuff you learn in college,” NCIS Special Agent Sam Tubbs explained. “But I think this is actually with the application side. And it’s a great, you know, resume pattern per se, to say that, ‘I’ve worked towards x, y and z and now I have this much work experience.’” 

Some recruiters, who arrived before the protest started, were unaware that it was happening. Many recruiters welcomed the dialogue and saw it as an outlet for people to exercise their right to protest, which they said is a right that the Department of Defense fought for those participating to have. 

“Everybody has a right to do what they want to do,” Thomas said. “You know, so if they want to protest, they can protest. And, you know, I spent 30 years in the military and part of the reason I’ve done that was to give people freedom, and you know, more power to them. I love the fact that they’re doing that.” 

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About the Contributors
Elizabeth Anne Andrews
Elizabeth Anne Andrews, Editor-in-Chief
Elizabeth Anne Andrews is in her third year at The Round Up, and her first as Editor-in-Chief. She is a junior majoring in Journalism and Media Studies with a minor in Creative Writing. She has written over 30 articles for The Round Up, three of which have won Best of SNO awards, and one that was also published in the Las Cruces Sun-News. She attended the NMPA College Journalism Workshop in 2024, and the CMA ProCon25 with the rest of the editorial and multimedia staff.  Elizabeth Anne always knew she had a passion for writing but wasn’t always sure where that would lead her. When she attended a virtual tour of NMSU in high school, she was drawn to the journalism program. Since beginning her career as a journalist at NMSU, she has grown to love it for the opportunities it gives her to meet people and learn new things. She is excited to continue working at The Round Up and leading this year’s staff. She hopes to help The Round Up bring accountability to campus, local and national leaders, and shine light on organizations supporting the diverse student population of NMSU. After graduating, Elizabeth Anne hopes to work at a local paper. Maybe one day she’ll work for a national paper, but for now she’s happy to focus on issues specifically affecting the borderland community she fell in love with when her military family moved here a few years ago. In her free time, Elizabeth Anne enjoys reading, listening to vinyl records, and spending time with her family. Find her on Instagram at @news_by_andrews.
David Castañeda
David Castañeda, Multimedia Editor
David Castañeda is starting his third year here at The Round Up, and his second year as the Multimedia Director. He’s been a part time Journalism and Media Studies student at NMSU since 2022. Despite being born in El Paso, David feels his home is here in Las Cruces. David has had a love for photography since a young age and has spent his years at The Round Up working to improve his work as much as he can. He hopes that during his second year as Multimedia Director, he can bring The Round Up’s multimedia team to new heights and showcase The Round Up in ways it hasn’t been before. When he’s not taking photos or editing them, David loves to spend his time playing instruments, remixing songs on GarageBand and watching YouTube with his partner.