Lehigh4Palestine calls for ceasefire and divestment – The Brown and White

Lehigh students and community members held a rally calling for a ceasefire in Palestine and transparency from school administration, Tuesday afternoon on the front lawn.

The gathering brought together over 100 participants, with representatives from Lehigh4Palestine, LV Artists for a Free Palestine, Pards4Palestine, SPAC, MyLehigh Valley Youth Organization, Jewish Voices for Peace and other organizations.

The participants at the rally engaged in chants and heard from several speakers. 

The speakers at the event stated the event’s purpose was to demand an end to violence in response to bombings in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine by Israeli forces. They contend that this movement is not a space for hatred or antisemitism, and that anti-Zionism is not equivalent to antisemitism.

A student holding an Israeli flag walked through the protest behind the speakers during the start of the rally, and was ushered off by a participant and stood off to the side for the rest of the protest. 

Cori Fisher-Hoffman, a representative from Jewish Voices for Peace, said she stands in solidarity with those fighting for a free Palestine.

“I feel a strong duty from everything that I learned in Hebrew school in my whole life, that when a group of people are isolated and blamed and scapegoated and attacked and bombed, that it is our duty to do everything we can to stand against that violence and to stand in solidarity with the struggle for a free Palestine,” she said. 

Layan Suleiman, ‘25, a student organizer, said the main purpose of the event is to take a stand on campus. She said activism like posters and peaceful rallies have been indiscriminately shut down.

“We continue to come out and really show what we’re about, all we’re asking for is that one, the university call for a ceasefire and acknowledge the violence that’s happening the same way that they acknowledged the Oct. 7 violence,” Suleiman said. “If they’re going to acknowledge one group of people being murdered, they should acknowledge another group of people being murdered.”

She said they are also asking for divestment from Israel, which they cannot be specific about until Lehigh releases its investments to the public.

“This is not a space for hatred. Hatred and antisemitism are not tolerated in the movement in general, whether it be on this campus or across the globe,” Suleiman said. “That’s something we maintained at this rally, and we continue to maintain in our movement.”

Zohier waves the Palestinian flag with his dog Krypton during the rally on the front lawn of Lehigh University on Feb. 20, 2024. Zohier was present for the support of Palestine. (Holly Fasching / B&W Staff)

Ciaran Buitrago, ‘25, also a student organizer, said in his speech that the rally is the beginning of their BDS campaign, which stands for boycott, divestment and sanctions. 

He said that he met with a representative from Student Involvement before the rally, but had to move the rally from STEPS lawn to the flagpole to be wary of noise during exam week. Last semester, their protest was mistaken as hateful by some offices and officials on campus, he said.

“I just hope it’s not mischaracterized yet again, and I hope people hear the message for what it is, it’s a message for peace,” Buitrago said. “And it’s a message for coming together.” 

The speakers left the rally warning participants against political burnout and encouraging attendees to continue to pressure administration and city government for a ceasefire and to divest from Israel.