Students from universities across the United States have been holding protests in recent weeks against the war in Gaza.

Many of the protests have involved encampments on campuses, starting with students at Columbia University, who set up a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on April 17. Since then, other students have followed, including those at several southern California schools.

The encampments have resulted in over 2,000 arrests. Several schools, including the University of Southern California, have canceled commencement ceremonies.

Although San Diego State University has not seen an encampment, the school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a walkout on April 30. The group aimed to pressure SDSU to disclose financial holdings, divest from Israel’s war on Gaza and defend Palestinian students.

They also called on the university’s president, Adela de la Torre, to “acknowledge the genocide and discrimination on campus.”

The protestors walked from the student union to Hepner Hall in the center of campus, carrying signs with sayings like “Gaza will be free” and “End U.S. funds to Israel.”

During the walkout, several participants expressed their support for those protesting at other schools.

“I think student activism is very important,” said one student, who asked to remain anonymous due to the controversy of the topic. “To make serious change within the system and the government, we need representation. Students seeing the prominence of issues on social media and on their campuses is going to create more interaction and engagement with current politics and issues.”

Others agreed, saying they wanted protests to continue into the future.

“There needs to be more events like this,” said Mohammed, an SDSU student who participated in the walkout. “Hopefully it’s going to create change. We need to pressure the administration, the people responsible for these investments and let them hear our voices and our concerns.”

However, some students disagreed with the nature of the protests.

“I think discussion is great, free speech is important, but some of these encampments, protests and chants have crossed the line,” said one SDSU student, who also wished to remain anonymous. “I hear these calls such as ‘from the river to the sea,’ which is calling for the destruction of a state that I have family and friends in.”

Currently, SDSU demonstrations are regulated by a “Freedom of Expression Policy.”. 

The policy, according to SDSU’s website, “states that the university can create ‘reasonable regulations’ around speech and expression. Public universities and colleges are allowed to enact ‘time, place and manner’ restrictions on free speech activities.”

“Time, place and manner” restrictions could include limiting amplified sound to certain hours, limiting demonstrators’ access to campus buildings and limiting where signs can be posted.

However, SDSU states they promote freedom of expression and assembly on their campus. 

This includes assemblies by students, staff, faculty and the general public. 

The Freedom of Expression Policy is designed so that speech does not interfere with university business.

Photo credit: Natali Gonzalez