Campus protest sparks debates

Melissa Morgan/Exponent Photographer LET ME TELL YOU: Members of Students Against Terrorists, Phil Anderson, a senior in the Schools of Engineering, and Matt Plomin, a senior in the School of Management, protest a demonstration Thursday in the Memorial Mall for peace in Palestine.

By Yuri Victor
Staff Writer

A protest occurred Thursday for resolution in the Middle East, causing discord as more groups arose to demonstrate their differing views.

Sponsored by nine organizations, the rally on Memorial Mall was a peaceful demonstration to protest Israeli violence against Palestine.

"We are trying to increase awareness on campus. We are not here to judge or condemn. We are here for peace," said Michael Barjum, a sophomore in the School of Management.

"It's about human rights, about being peaceful. The number of death tolls is so large we must have international intervention," he said.

More than 100 people joined the group by carrying signs and passing out information.

Shortly after the event began, two opposing groups arrived to express their viewpoints — one with signs and pamphlets, the other with a Bible.

To ensure the friction between the groups remained mild, campus police intervened.

Students Against Terrorists, a pro-Israeli group, spoke out loudly against Palestine. Group members read quotes from the Palestinian Charter and Yasser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian Council, showing Palestine's objective.

"Palestine's doctrine has in it the complete and total annihilation of Israel," said Kathy Gehlhausen, a sophomore in the School of Liberal Arts.

The group carried signs displaying their opinion of the protest, "Peace equals no Judaism."

"Palestine's means is not justifiable. There is no excuse for suicide bombing. How can these peaceful people call for the destruction of Jews, which we've seen happen already in Lebanon?" said Dan Kensinger, a freshman in the School of Liberal Arts.

A preacher came and spoke his views on the Middle East issue. He quoted the Bible, capturing the attention of people mingling on the grass.

The preacher said, "We will not have peace in the Middle East until the return of Christ."

Many arguments arose from his statements. People would scream comments and he would form his rebuttal in the same manner.

Groups splintered from the main crowd to discuss and argue their viewpoints — some were quiet, others were boisterous.

An onlooker to the event, Matt Toth, a sophomore in the School of Liberal Arts, said, "I don't know if either group is right. It’s not the governments' suffering, it’s the people suffering — mothers, fathers and children. Bombing is not the answer — it's the problem."

After an hour and a half the protest ended but the debates went on.

Kensinger said, "If you can't have peace here on campus, how can we expect peace in the Middle East?"

Campus protest sparks debates

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