Pro-Palestinian protests resume at Stony Brook University as new school year begins
Nearly 50 protesters marched at the Stony Brook University campus Thursday, the first such pro-Palestinian demonstration since last spring, when the arrests ordered by university administration stirred controversy among students and professors.
"It’s kind of nerve-wracking, but at the same time, I have to stand up," said freshman Soren Wu, a studio art major. "If I get arrested, let it be. I can’t control that, but what I can control is helping other people and being a voice for people."
On May 1, a gathering of pro-Palestinian protesters were asked to vacate the grassy area on campus known as the Staller Steps as the campus Jewish organization Hillel had previously scheduled an event in the area for the following day. Shortly after midnight on May 2, after leaders of the 100 protesters and the administration failed to reach an agreement to evacuate. Many protesters left, but others remained. Police arrested 22 students, two professors and five others involved in the protest.
The demonstrations followed months of violence during the Israel-Hamas war that started Oct. 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis. More than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, as Israel seeks to eliminate Hamas. Israel has maintained that their military operations are targeting Hamas fighters, but international observers have condemned the war, saying it has spurred a humanitarian crisis.
The five demands of the campus’ SB4Palestine group remain the same as last spring, organizer Zubair Kabir said.
Topping the list is a call for financial transparency from the university regarding any ties to other universities or organizations based in Israel or "occupied territories," Kabir said before marching Thursday afternoon. After finances become known, he said, organizers want divestment from such entities, a common call from college protesters around the nation.
Kabir, a 19-year-old junior studying anthropology, said he hopes interim university president Richard L. McCormick will "be more receptive to what we’re asking for" than former president Maurie McInnis, who vacated her position at Stony Brook over the summer to become Yale University’s first permanent female president.
Protesters have also expressed concerns about whether their phones were accessed after they were confiscated by police last school year. Newsday reported that legal experts say the seizures raise questions about whether authorities violated the Fourth Amendment protecting Americans from unreasonable search and seizures.
A spokeswoman for the university said in a statement: "No cellphones were searched while they were in the possession of our University Police. The cellphones were promptly returned upon clearance from the district attorney’s office."
The university also pointed to guidelines issued last month for demonstrations in anticipation of more protests. In a president's message, McCormick said: "We must ensure that the university remains unwaveringly committed to free speech and equally committed to providing everyone in our community with an environment free of discrimination."
On Thursday, one uniformed campus police officer and other campus officials flanked the students as they chanted and marched for nearly an hour.
The event concluded after about two hours and without incident. But looking ahead, Kabir said SB4Palestine is discussing how to keep protesters safe from arrest, adding that "we can’t trust police or administration to keep us safe."
