USC graduate students and alumni gathered in front of Bovard Auditorium Thursday for what they labeled a “DIE-IN Community Action for Palestine,” to honor the lives lost in Palestine following Hamas’attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Those who attended the protest sat together on the Bovard lawn. Many held up signs that read, “Free Palestine,” “Stop the genocide,” and a black, white and red banner reading, “End the genocide in Gaza.” Two attendees stood in front of the lawn, and read off the names of Palestinians who have been killed, nearly 7,000 people at the time of the gathering.
Surrounding the protest were five DPS officers and representatives from a USC freedom of expression organization, to ensure safety and security.
More than 160 graduate students and graduate alumni wrote an impassioned plea to USC’s administration, writing that they “demand President Folt condemn Israel.”
The 750-word joint statement, unsigned “for student safety,” outlined their views on what they called “the ongoing and continued violence against the Palestinian people.” It referenced two statements from USC President Carol Folt and suggested free speech is being stifled on campus.
“In the midst of all this, USC President Folt released a statement condemning ‘terrorist attacks by Hamas’ with no mention of Palestinian resistance being a direct response to the ongoing colonial terrorism Israel imposes,” the statement reads. “We are additionally disheartened to learn that members of USC administration have explicitly prohibited departments from issuing statements on the ongoing violence unfolding before our eyes, in direct violation of our right to free speech and undermining the right for all oppressed peoples to resist under occupation. This infringement on academic freedom is deeply concerning to us as graduate students invested in the future of our fields and communities. The university’s decision to police speech reinforces what we already know: solidarity with Palestinian decolonization is the limit for academic freedom.”
As a protester entered the building to deliver the letter to Folt’s office, the crowd outside evoked the name of Israel’s prime minister. They chanted:
“Netanyahu Netanyahu, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”
“Stop the killing, stop the hate, Israel is a colonizer state.”
“When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? We fight back.”
“Shame on USC.”
After about 15 minutes, the protestor returned to the group after successfully delivering the letter, and was met with an emotional response. People applauded, embraced and cried.
The president’s office has received the letter but President Folt is out of town on business, the university said in a statement.
Annenberg Media attempted to interview six people attending the protest, but they all declined. A few initially agreed, but quickly retracted when friends urged them not to speak to the press.
A senior majoring in Global Studies spoke to another Annenberg Media reporter, giving only her first name, Nada, out of fear of retaliation for attending and speaking at the protest.
As an Arabic speaker, she read a list of some of the dead, out of “honor and respect” for them.
Nada noted that some Palestinian students were uncomfortable coming to the protest, because they feared harassment or retaliation, like doxxing from the “Canary Mission,” a website that compiles information about activists, journalists and others they deem to be anti-Israel or antisemitic. Nada also noted the real possibility of government surveillance, on campus retaliation and “death threats’' for students joining the protest or speaking publicly about Palestine.
Lauren Torian, a graduate student of USC’s Gould School of Law, was interviewed by Annenberg Radio, and spoke on the goals of the Die-in for Palestine.
“We’re protesting to end the genocide that’s happening in the Gaza Strip right now. There are innocent men, women and children who are being bombed,” Torian said.
In terms of how USC is handling the conflict, Torian said, “even though I don’t believe our administration has come out in support, their silence is a bystander on the back side of that.”
Jen Byers and Morgan Fierro contributed reporting.