Around 60 students, faculty and community members gathered outside the Moritz College of Law at approximately 5:30 p.m. Thursday to protest the Israel-Hamas war and demand Ohio State’s divestment from Israeli companies. 

The protest — which was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, also known as SJP, and Moritz Law Students for Justice in Palestine, also known as MLSJP — marks the first of the semester for both organizations. 

The war in Gaza began Oct. 7, 2023 after Hamas — a Palestinian militant group — entered neighboring Israeli towns on a major Jewish holiday, Simchat Torah, where about 1,200 people were killed, according to NPR.

Israel declared war the next day and launched airstrikes on Gaza, destroying entire neighborhoods and killing thousands of Palestinian civilians in the months that followed, with the current death toll surpassing 40,000, according to the Associated Press.

This war is a continuation of a 75-year conflict, with previous Israel-Hamas wars in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021, according to prior Lantern reporting and the Associated Press.

At 5:30 p.m., there were around 50 participants, as well as one Ohio State Police Department — also known as OSUPD — officer in the vicinity.

By 6 p.m., a counter-protest of five students waving miniature Israel flags began. The counter-protesters stayed while speeches were ongoing, but did not remain for the demonstration’s overall duration. 

At approximately 6:15 p.m., speeches began. Manar Alrjub, a second-year law student and president of MLSJP, said even though she studies law, it does not and cannot create liberation — only people do.

“We must continue to respond to the call from which asked that we embrace and we further [the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement that requires us not to surrender to OSU’s empty promises, to not surrender to their policies again, which directly target our advocacy, because they know how effective it was,” Alrjub said. “It means that we must continue to lean on each other and continue to support each other because power comes from the people and from structured, organized movements.”

Pranav Jani — SJP’s faculty advisor, a Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine at OSU member and an associate professor of English — described the frustration he felt for the lack of apologies the university offered to the students and faculty, who he felt were mistreated by the university.

“No one’s got any apologies at all, right?” Jani said. “[Ted Carter Jr.] is out there saying this in all the media platforms that he can, that Ohio State protects free speech and preaches campus safety. Is that something you feel?”

The crowd then erupted in a loud objection.

Counter-protestors chanted “Free the hostages” during Jani’s speech. Pro-Palestine protestors screamed “Shame” in response.

Jani discussed how OSUPD has been present at previously planned protests, expressing his frustration for the “double standards” he believes the university has shown toward SJP activists. 

“Would they bring [riot cops and snipers] in if we were white?” Jani said. “They wouldn’t bring that in. They think they can go after this movement because of who we are and what we stand for.”

University spokesperson Ben Johnson said in an email “Ohio State has an unwavering commitment to free speech.”

“Trained university staff, including members of the Office of Student Life and the Department of Public Safety, routinely support events across campus to ensure the right to free expression and the safety of our campus community,” Johnson said.

After speeches finished at approximately 6:30 p.m., the protest began to move down College Road in the direction of the Oval. Chants like “Justice is our demand. No peace on stolen land” and “Israel bombs, OSU pays. How many kids did you kill today?” were echoed during the march.

Approximately six OSUPD officers rode their bikes and two OSUPD cars blocked off the roads as the protestors moved throughout the street. Once protesters arrived at the east end of the Oval, they headed toward Thompson Library, where OSUPD blocked the building’s Oval-facing entrance. 

After additional speeches from groups like the Central Ohio Revolutionary Socialists, the protest moved to Arps Garage, located near Curl Market.

Protestors stood at the top of the garage and draped banners down, titled “186,000+ Martyrs Killed,” showing the names of those killed in Gaza, with additional signs calling for divestment from Israel. 

Jineen Musa, a third-year in health sciences and health information management and systems, as well as co-president of SJP, provided final remarks on behalf of the protest’s organizers.

“The power lies in the students,” Musa said. “The power lies within the people. If we the people fight, we will free Palestine from the river to the sea.” 

After the protest, Musa described the goals of SJP that will remain in place until Ohio State divests from Israeli companies. The demands of SJP have not changed since the April 25 protest — which resulted in 36 arrests, 16 of whom were students, per prior Lantern reporting — Musa said. 

“We are here today to continue speaking about [the lack of university accountability] to continue telling our university itself that we are here, and we are fighting and we are going to continue pushing these demands,” Musa said. “Specifically, to the administration itself, we’ve continually peacefully come to them with speaking points, with talking points, with demands and they’re just completely unresponsive.”

Alrjub said although she sees the actions in Gaza as unlawful, people in power are continuing their participation.

“If we dilute it down to a legal issue, it’s going to feel like, ‘Well, why?’” Alrjub said. “‘Why is no one doing anything?’ It’s obviously illegal, but as a Palestinian, as a law student, as a future attorney, as a student at OSU, just standing up for people that you don’t know, it’s a mission to do anything [to help].” 

Musa said not only Palestinians should recognize the violence in Gaza.

“Whether you identify with Palestinians or not, you should see [the violence] and see how much of a human injustice that, for almost a year now, we watch people get massacred,” Musa said.

Dave Isaacs, a university spokesperson, said in an email this demonstration did not require a space reservation because none of the following conditions from section C of the space standards applied to the event: If event organizers expect or promote the activity as having the sole usage of a space, if the activity requires or event organizers expect university staff support or resources in order to conduct the activity or hold the event or if the activity requires physical set-up of equipment, signs or other structures.

“We encourage all students planning an event to go through the registration process so there are no surprises or confusion,” Isaacs said in an email.

This story was updated Sept. 17 at 2:45 p.m. to accurately reflect why a space reservation was not needed for this protest.