Palestinian protesters continue to call for a ceasefire in Gaza on the streets of Cleveland, this time last Monday outside Euclid Avenue during The Greater Cleveland Partnership’s 2023 All In Leadership Forum at PlayHouse Square.
The forum was slated to be an opportunity for members of the Greater Cleveland Partnership to interact with leadership officials. Speakers included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Representatives Shontel Brown of the Eleventh District and Max Miller of the Seventh District. Gov. Mike DeWine was also on that list, but didn’t end up attending.
These protests persist in light of Israel’s bombardment on Gaza, which has killed over 14,000 people in a pledge to inflict “an unprecedented price” against Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack, killing 1,200 Israelis.
Many Cleveland State students partook in last Monday’s protest, sharing a variety of reactions to the scene, from fear to excitement.
“I didn’t know anything about the event, so to see roads blocked off and police cars full of officers right by campus was unnerving,” one student said. “I could feel something going on, I just didn’t have any idea what it was.”
Another student shared their disappointment with having class during the demonstration, having wanted to join.
“I would really like to go and show my support for the Palestinian community, especially since politicians are basicilly ignoring the genocide, but I just can’t miss my exam,” the student said.
Supporters of Palestine have rejected the label of “war,” and instead, refer to the violence as a genocide inflicted by Israel on Gaza, citing the blockade, the massive loss of Gazan civilian life and a history of human rights violations. United Nations officials have called it “a genocide in the making.”
Other students shared that their professors moved classes to remote sessions for the evening, claiming the protest to be the reason.
The crowd of approximately 100 individuals at the protest shouted the names of each local official, chanting, “You can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” referencing the Israel bonds some politicians have purchased.
After Monday’s protest, protestors took to Cleveland City Hall to engage in public comment, demanding that City Council and Major Justin Bibb retract their support for Israel and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, as has been the case in many recent council meetings.
In anticipation of the leadership conference, CSU Parking and Transportation Services sent out an email the day before regarding restricted building access, limited parking and road closures.
The CSU community had no access to or from the Theatre & Arts (TA) Building Garage during the road closure period. Streets were lined with snow plows, signs and other city vehicles to block access.
Temporary Ceasefire
Since the protest, Israel and Hamas have negotiated a four-day ceasefire agreement that is allowing for the release of both Israeli and Palestinian hostages. This agreement went into effect on Friday after a delay, mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
The terms of the temporary ceasefire also allow for trucks of critical humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, where an ongoing humanitarian crisis has persisted.
Though it was set to end on Monday, Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the ceasefire in exchange for more hostages on both sides. So far, the temporary ceasefire has been extended an additional two days—for a potential end Wednesday morning.
Hamas has released over 81 hostages of the approximately 240 hostages taken. Israel has released 180 Palestinians.
However, many people are still calling for a definitive end to the violence.
Community Response Over Last Seven Weeks
While Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is described as “unprecedented,” many people have pushed back on that label, referring to the history of human rights violations committed by Israel against Palestinians, as outlined by UNICEF and other leading human rights organizations.
Several local Palestinians have said that Hamas’ attack was retaliation for “the cruel and brutal oppression and illegal occupation that the Palestinians have been enduring for decades from the Israeli apartheid state,” and continue to protest in the streets of Cleveland.
CSU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have pushed for the Palestinian cause in the last seven weeks, sharing in a public statement that while the group’s members “do not condone any acts of violence,” they “firmly stand with Palestine and its enduring struggle for justice, and freedom,” and “unyieldingly support the Palestinian resistance, which embodies the resilience and determination of a people striving for their rightful place in the world.”
SJP wrote a letter to President Bloomberg in response to the University’s open letter regarding Israel and Palestine, stating that, “we were particularly concerned that [the open letter], while extensive at over 500 words, did not contain a single mention of the thousands of Palestinians who have lost their lives in this long-standing conflict, nor the humanitarian crises they face.”
The student group’s letter was co-signed by 34 organizations and small businesses, including four other CSU student groups.
As CSU students join local pro-Palestinian protests and demand support for the Palestinan cause from local officials and even the University, the Student Government Association passed a resolution supporting students affected by the violence, calling for a ceasefire and criticizing the University’s open letter, stating that it “did not reflect the perspective of the entire student body.”
The Cauldron reached out to Hillel at CSU and the Muslim Student Association in October for comment on the escalating violence in the Middle East, and has received no response.