Films and Fear
On Monday night in Hepburn 218, the DMF and global studies departments held a screening of the film Israelism to a crowd of some 40 students and faculty, followed by a question-and-answer period conducted by Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs Ronnie Olesker.
The screening followed an unrelated student protest in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon last Sunday, which saw a group of roughly 30 students march to the corner of Main St. holding Palestinian flags and chanting for the U.S. to cease its military aid to Israel, and for Israel to cease its military operations in Lebanon.
The SLU chapter of the Student Justice for Palestine (SJP), co-organized the protest with Massena-based members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. After the protest, they told the crowd to join them next Sunday in a meeting at the Student Center at 5 p.m.
“We are here to raise awareness on Israels massacre on Lebanon and continuous Genocide on Palestine,” said an anonymous SLU SJP protester.
Notable at the protest was a large flag of the Iroquois Confederacy, which had been brought by the PSL members. “Some people from Akwesasne brought that flag and that just shows solidarity between the people of Akwesasne with the Palestinians,” the student protester said.
The SLU SJP acknowledges that their rhetoric might make Israeli and/or Jewish students and faculty uncomfortable but affirms that their club meetings and protests are open to anyone willing to have a conversation.
“We also advocate for Jewish students and Jewish people because they are also victims of the Zionist Israeli state,” the SLU SJP member said.
A large portion of the protesters were international students, and when asked for a comment from The Hill News, many of them felt unsafe speaking to the media, a theme that was echoed at the Israelism film screening.
When asked if she felt SLU was a safe place for students to protest justice for Palestine, Olesker replied, “I hope people are able to engage respectfully. But I know some of the students I talk to don’t feel safe.”
This sentiment was supported by a fellow faculty member, who spoke about the incident around the Chalk for Palestine event last year, referring to a specific student who had their personal information leaked.
“I know a SLU student who was doxed,” the faculty member said.
Last Spring, following the Chalk for Palestine event, hate symbols were observed scrawled across the campus pavement, and anonymous threats were posted online directed at international students.
Another anonymous international student spoke about their experience with what happened. “There was a lot of backlash from Americans, and they even threatened to do something to the I House.” The student explained how some international students share the same religion and ethnicity as those in Palestine, and how they thought the international students that attended the protests were brave for sharing their beliefs in the face of what happened last semester.
“Of course they’re not going to feel safe, how would you feel if you were trying to make a voice for your people who are being killed, and other people are still trying to harm you, threaten you, how would you feel about it?” the international student said.
They also said that the backlash following Chalk for Palestine was only one factor in their fear of sharing their opinions.
“National wise, it’s also an issue, because what they think we’re doing is antisemitic, but we’re just anti-Zionism, and Zionism is not the same as the entire Jewish religion,” the student said.