The Coalition for Solidarity and Justice hosted an emergency demonstration in the Eastern Quad on April 22 to demand that Loyola divest from companies that manufacture weapons used in Israel’s attack on Gaza.
Students and community members gathered on the Quad from 12 to 5 p.m. with signs, keffiyeh and voices to send a message to the Loyola administration about the investment. The demonstration was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, Loyola Opposition, Loyola Black Cultural Center, and Loyola Socialist Alliance.
Students gathered in the Quad to listen to speeches and chant messages such as “Gaza, Gaza, don’t cry, we’re all on your side” and “No justice, no peace.”
The demo was announced on Instagram on April 21st. Lena Abushavan, a fourth-year student and SJP president, said the urgency of the event was critical to show solidarity with other schools that have supported Gaza and set up camps.
“Essentially, we’re following in the footsteps of students at Columbia and across the country, students at Yale, students at Harvard, students at Vanderbilt,” Abushaban said.
Columbia University students faced suspension and arrest for trespassing on April 17 after setting up a pro-Palestinian encampment on school grounds, according to the Associated Press. Columbia University has since suspended in-person classes and moved to hybrid and distance learning until further notice.
As Loyola students gathered, Abushaban said he hopes these efforts and those of other universities will put pressure on Columbia University officials to reverse the students’ suspensions.
The Revolutionary Communist Party distributed leaflets during the demonstration outlining the nationwide disruption of pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses. The flyer called for support from Columbia University and protesters across the country and demanded that all charges be dropped.
In addition to the protesters’ demands for divestment, the students also called for greater transparency within the university. Speakers called for the reinstatement of student representation on the Board of Directors and the inclusion of the Loyola community on the Investment Council.
Abushaban said their demands stem from a history of not being heard by the board. She said she believes the board is putting profits first above all else.
SJP and other student organizations tried to schedule a meeting with Loyola University’s chief investment officer, Katherine Wyatt, to discuss reappointing student representatives to the board and investing in the university, The Phoenix reported. It was previously reported on February 14th. Mr Abushaban said the meeting had been cancelled. without taking any action.
Wyatt did not respond to Phoenix’s request for comment.
“Schools don’t listen to students; they listen to people who line their own pockets,” Abushaban said. “If it doesn’t make them rich, it doesn’t matter to them.”
Loyola spokesperson Matt McDermott wrote in an email to The Phoenix that Loyola already has adopted a Sustainable Investment Policy, which outlines the university’s commitment to sustainable, humane and fair investment policies. Ta. Loyola will not respond to any other sale requests, McDermott said.
McDermott wrote on behalf of the university that Loyola supports students’ right to participate in civil discussion through respectful and responsible means and believes this increases “education, engagement, and understanding.”
Betty Keefle, a first-year protester, said she hopes the sit-in will show that you don’t have to be Palestinian to champion the cause. She said that even though she faces struggles from the university, the community’s numbers and strength have consistently grown.
“We are not only large in numbers, but also big in heart,” Kiffle said. “We are human beings and should care about each other, not because of boundaries.”
As protesters entered their fourth hour on the quad, students gave speeches detailing the events of the Feb. 14 town hall meeting. There, students from the Coalition for Solidarity and Justice asked Loyola University Chief Financial Officer Wayne Maggiarts about the university’s investments.
A quote from Mr. Maggiarts was read to the crowd at the Feb. 14 town hall meeting and later posted on the SJP Instagram.
Maggiarts did not respond to Phoenix’s request for comment.
Leon Friedrich Diaz, a member of the Loyola Socialist League and a college senior, said student participation in the liberation movement is critical to the movement’s progress.
“The history and tradition of student revolution continues, and students have always been at the forefront of social justice and change,” Friedrich-Diaz said. “It is not only our duty to come here, but also our necessity.”
Friedrich Diaz, a history major, said Loyola students have privilege regardless of their background. He said students need to make the most of their position and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.
In his call for the liberation of Palestine, Friedrich-Diaz said that in order to see change, change must be made.
“There is nothing in this world that cannot be changed, because we humans are the motive and the driving force of history,” Friedrich-Diaz said. “Viva Viva Palestine”.
Featured image by Ella Govrik/The Phoenix
