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PHILADELPHIA

Students protest Israeli apartheid

Published Apr 29, 2012 8:45 PM

WW photo: Joseph Piette

On April 16, Temple University Students for Justice in Palestine erected a mock “apartheid wall” to represent the actual barrier cutting through the West Bank in occupied Palestine. The wall was ruled illegal by the U.N. International Court of Justice in 2004.

The students’ mock wall, covered with information about the occupation of Palestine, was visible in the middle of the campus. SJP maintained the protest throughout the day.

Most of those who encountered the wall were unaware of the Israeli occupation. They also did not know that U.S. aid to support Israel has been $3 billion a year since 1985 — more than to any other country. This comes at a time when many workers cannot find jobs and students are saddled with mountains of debt.

Most of the day passed with minimal harassment until suddenly a pro-Israel mob attempted to disrupt the wall demonstration with the jingoistic chant of “USA, USA, USA.” To that, SJP activists countered by adding, “Out of the Middle East!”

Within a day of the wall demonstration, a student group associated with Zionist David Horowitz announced that it was planning a “conference” at Temple featuring anti-Islamic bigots Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller. Anti-racist students and community activists are mobilizing to resist this outrage.