USC student-led organization “Students for Justice in Palestine” conducted a march on Tuesday night calling on USC to condemn the Israeli bombing and ground force campaign in Gaza as a genocide. Israel began retaliatory strikes against Gaza following an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, a militant Palestinian organization recognized by the U.S. as a terrorist group which governs the Gaza strip.
The march, which began at the Hoover and Jefferson campus entrance, snaked through the university towards Wallis Annenberg Hall before doubling back to the Tommy Trojan statue in the center of campus. A rearguard of a few students dragged several long sheets of paper for the entirety of the march—lists representing the 8,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, reported as killed in Israeli airstrikes by the Gaza Health Ministry.
The demonstration was the latest of several student events in support of either Israel or Palestine in recent weeks, and the second of the day following a public display near Trousdale Parkway for the more-than-200 hostages taken by Hamas during the initial attack on Israel.
Outside of Wallis Annenberg Hall, leaders of the protest gave speeches regarding misinformation in the media. Many wore face coverings, and did not publicly disclose their identities.
One of the leaders accused both the Daily Trojan and Annenberg Media’s video production of spreading misinformation surrounding pro-Palestinian supporters and creating “downright dangerous comparisons between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and terrorists and Nazis.”
That organizer then read from a prepared statement in front of Annenberg Hall where the Annenberg Media newsroom is located. The person called on USC-based media “to protect both pro-Palestinian contributors and writers.”
“It’s essential to create an environment that fosters diverse perspectives without endangering these same individuals,” he said.
The protestors called for equal coverage in the media regarding pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli supporters. “It’s time for the Daily Trojan and Annenberg Media to take responsibility for the impact of their content. Let’s work together to ensure accurate, fair and respectful coverage that upholds the principles of journalism.”
Gennie Obayd, a University of Arizona student who participated in the protest, said it was important as a Muslim to support other Muslims facing oppression. Obayd said her identity as a woman, a Black woman, and a Black Muslim woman had exposed her to multiple facets of prejudice in the United States.
“I’ve had to change myself a lot for America because there are parts of this country that I do love,” she said, “However when they give $10 billion to the oppressor and when they willingly allow 8,000 plus Palestinians to die, and the count of Israelis is about 1,400, and this is just only in this Hamas war, it’s hard to support this country as an American.”
The USC Department of Public Safety estimated around 100 people participated in the march.
After the conclusion of the protest, a small group of the demonstrators who identified as Muslim, including some protest leaders, joined together in front of Tommy Trojan for the Maghrib prayer, one of the five daily prayers that are mandatory in some sects of Islam.
USC President Carol Folt’s office sent out a campus-wide email Tuesday morning, signed by other top administrators, addressing student concerns surrounding islamophobia and antisemitism.
“Over the past three weeks, we’ve been in conversation with many faculty, students, staff, alumni, and parents who have been personally and profoundly impacted by the violence in Israel and Gaza,” the statement says.
“USC publicly and unequivocally denounces antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia. Hate speech is antithetical to our values and any threats of violence are unacceptable.”
Editor’s note: Annenberg Media acknowledges the criticism levied against us by the Students for Justice in Palestine. In our coverage across all platforms, each piece undergoes a formal review process by editors and producers who act on guidance from the Equity Board and also work with Annenberg faculty. The newsroom stands by the totality of this coverage. We will continue to cover all voices fairly and work diligently to represent how students across our campus are feeling about this conflict. We will reiterate that when referencing Hamas, a Palestinian militant group and U.S. recognized terrorist group, we do not conflate it with all Palestinians. We also acknowledge that not all individuals calling for peace in Gaza are advocating or supporting the actions done by Hamas.