Shealagh Sullivan

Students from the three colleges gather in front of an Emerson College academic building during the Jan. 25 walkout.

Suffolk University Students for Justice in Palestine, in conjunction with Emerson College Students for Justice in Palestine and Berklee College of Music Students for Justice in Palestine, led a walkout protest Jan. 25 to demonstrate support for Palestine amidst the ongoing war.

“There are so many displaced people, and no one is doing anything about it,” said a member of Suffolk SJP executive board following the protest. Members of Suffolk SJP have requested to remain anonymous.

Students gathered outside of Sargent Hall and marched down Tremont Street to meet Emerson SJP on Boylston Street. Together, the three organizations marched and blocked traffic on Tremont Street, eventually convening at the State House.

Suffolk SJP was formed in November and aims to create a safe space for Palestinian students and activists on campus and amplify student voices on campus, according to the organization’s Instagram.

The walkout was not the first demonstration Suffolk SJP has organized on campus.

Last semester, Suffolk SJP held an emergency solidarity vigil Dec. 7 on Roemer Plaza to honor the people killed in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

Scrolls with the names of several thousand of those killed since the war was first declared Oct. 7 were laid across the plaza. According to The Associated Press, more than 27,000 people have been killed over four months.

“The reason why we put this together is because it has been two months of silence. We had the initial statement put out by the President on the 10th of October. But again, that was neutral, and that was two months ago. Since then, it doesn’t highlight the genocide of current Palestinians, it doesn’t highlight 75 years of occupation and it doesn’t highlight the fact that […] people are continuing to die and the thousands that still remain under the rubble,” said a member of SJP’s executive board.

SPJ’s E-board said its demonstrations will extend beyond the vigil as long as the violence in Gaza continues, as well as events to highlight Palestinian culture.

“We will continue to keep showing out because as long as bombs continue to be dropped, as long as Palestinian hostages remain kidnapped and tortured by occupational forces, we’re going to continue to speak. Because no human being should be living under these conditions,” said the member of SJP.

The vigil provided students the space to share their perspectives and discuss Suffolk’s response to the violence in Gaza. Organizers also shared the statement written by Hisham Awartani, the Brown University Palestinian student who was shot in Vermont while visiting family Nov. 28.