Queen’s students organize walkout in support of Palestine

Story by Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist, for the Local Journalism Initiative.

Last Thursday, Queen’s students and community members participated in a walkout in support of Palestine.

Students, faculty, and community members met at Ontario Hall at 2pm on Thursday, with a crowd of over 200 gathering and more passersby joining in as the protestors marched around campus.

The protest was organized by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), an advocacy group made up of Queen’s students, who posted the event on their Instagram page to spread the word. 

In their post, they listed specific demands, including demanding that the University “divest from companies profiting from Israeli apartheid” and “cut ties from all corporations and institutions complicit in genocide”. They also demanded the University protect Queen’s community members from all forms of hate, including anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism.

After gathering at Ontario Hall, the crowd marched throughout campus to spread their message. The crowd chanted “Free, free Palestine” and “Stop killing children” as they marched, sporting signs supporting their cause and Palestinian flags. 

This protest also follows the SPHR address at the AMS Assembly, at which they claim they were met with disrespect. They released a statement regarding the AMS Assembly, describing how their address was “targeted and derailed”. They stated that this included audible laughter during their presentation and another student referring to those standing with SPHR as terrorists. While there has yet to be a response, SPHR awaits accountability from the University and its organizations.