Opposing activists returned to Emory University on Wednesday for the seventh day of demonstrations on the campus.
By 7 p.m. on the quad, pro-Palestinian protesters formed a circle, locking arms and holding up signs that read, “Liberated Zone” and “Defund the U.S. war machine,” while counter-protesters stood nearby. One protester, who was asked to leave campus after open expression observers determined he was not an Emory community member, held a sign stating, “You cannot be pro-Hamas and claim any morality or virtue.”
Morgan Starnes, a Jewish junior at the university, stood within the pro-Palestinian circle. Starnes said they have family in Jerusalem and does not want their identity to be “tied to an imperialist regime.”
“I understand that Jewish students at Emory are struggling right now — all Jewish students,” Starnes said. “But we are still here, Jewish students that believe that a free Palestine means liberation and freedom for every single person on this planet.”
Sarah Davis
Sarah Davis
Just prior to opposing sides convening on the quad, more than 100 people gathered for a Jewish “Solidarity Assembly” near Cox Hall. Activists laid down a banner with the words, “Bring them home now.” Israeli officials say that about 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 people are unaccounted for, according to the Associated Press.
Yaakov Fleshel, a rabbi with the Jewish organization Meor at Emory, said that some Jewish students have been unable to focus on final exams and classes due to ongoing protests on campus. Those assembled sang Jewish prayers and the U.S. national anthem.
“This was a way for us to unify, to realize that our Judaism is important, and we stand up for them,” Fleshel said. “They put us down, we come back as a unified force.”
Sarah Davis
Sarah Davis
Earlier on Wednesday, pro-Palestinian protesters flooded into one of the university’s administration buildings near the quad but were asked by Emory police to leave due to the building having had closed just minutes prior. As protesters peacefully left the Oxford Road Building, the crowd yelled a chant that began with, “No justice, no peace.”
Many activists then began setting up tents outside the building. Students told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the encampment is part of their continued demands for the university to divest relations with companies that have ties to Israel.
Less than half a mile away from where students were protesting on campus, the DeKalb County Police Department investigated a suspicious bag near the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. Officers determined the package did not pose a threat, an Emory spokesperson said, and the school issued an all-clear at 4:03 p.m.
University officials did not believe the incident was connected to the protests.
— Staff reporter Cassidy Alexander contributed to this report.
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