Gathered on the lawn outside Kendall Hall, Chico State students and faculty organized a walkout for Palestine today and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Speakers and attendees sat inside a circle of cardboard rectangles, painted to resemble the bulletproof vests worn by journalists in Gaza. Many had the names and pictures of journalists killed there since the conflict began. Each vest had a small Palestinian flag staked into the ground next to it, rippling in the spring breeze.
The walkout was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, Chico. It comes as universities across the country have experienced mass protests in recent weeks, including sit-ins and encampments at universities in California, New York and elsewhere.
Dr. Lindsay Briggs, an associate professor in Chico State's Department of Public Health, spoke at the event. She's been collaborating with, and amplifying the messages of, Students for Justice in Palestine, Chico.
"Being an ally is utilizing [my] privilege to make sure that I speak up when students don't feel safe doing so," Briggs said. "Because those students tend to be students of color, and [at] a predominantly white institution, they are at unique risk ... especially in this fever pitch right now."
The event hosted speakers, covering topics such as anti-colonialism and the history of Islamophobia. Others recited poems or led the group in ceremonial dance.
Bian Jabari is a first-generation Palestinian immigrant. Her grandparents were displaced in the 1948 Nakba, which displaced thousands of Palestinians at the time the modern state of Israel was created. She spoke at the walkout, reading the poem “If I Must Die,” by the Palestinian professor and poet Refaat Alareer. Afterward, Jabari said she was inspired to become a vocal activist in the wake of Hamas' attack on October 7th, especially given what her family went through.
"When October 7th happened … I said '[do] I want to sit on the sidelines and watch humanity change this world?'" Jabari said. "Or [do] I want to be part of that fight after what my family has gone through?"
Today’s event concluded with a vigil for those killed in Gaza since October.
Chico State academic senator Catherine Lemmi said the senate would be discussing a resolution supporting a ceasefire at its meeting on Thursday.
