TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On Thursday at the University of Arizona, students held a walkout in support of Palestine.
Starting at noon students and community members began to meet near the university’s administration building.
Several student organizers addressed the group who proceeded to march around campus.
The students circled back to the administration building for speeches.
“I think it’s really important even as students to use our voices in this moment and come together,” student Abigail Chavez said.
People at the walkout called on the university to cut ties with corporations that support Israel.
“We’re going to be here organizing week on week, on week, until we get what we want,” Students for Justice in Palestine President Ahmad Riyad said.
Riyad says defense companies, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are two of the companies he’d like the see the university cut ties with.
“Ending all programs that we have with anything that participates in like the sort of war industrial complex, anything that profits from the killing of people,” Riyad said.
He says SJP has been working on a proposal for the university which calls for its divestment. He says it will be shared within the next week.
“The only way we can get them (administration) to change their position is by student pressure, student movement, everything that we see here,” he said. “That’s going to put pressure on them.”
KGUN 9 has reached out to the University of Arizona Hillel and Tucson Jewish Community Center for comment.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
