Washington, DC – Chants of “free Palestine” had been interrupted by ululating and cheers as dozens of Georgetown College college students arrived at a protest on the neighbouring George Washington College (GW) campus within the coronary heart of the US capital metropolis.

College students, professors and activists from throughout the Washington, DC, space gathered on Thursday to point out solidarity with Palestinians amid the warfare on Gaza and demand an finish to what they name their schools’ complicity in Israel’s human rights abuses.

College students at GW had arrange a protest encampment on campus, becoming a member of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations sweeping schools throughout the nation.

“We’re right here to point out assist for the scholars at GW and in addition to lift the calls for of all the scholars in DC, that are to divest from corporations which might be concerned in weapons manufacturing and Israeli apartheid, and to chop ties with Israeli universities due to their complicity within the Israeli genocide in Palestine,” Anna Wessels, a Georgetown pupil, informed Al Jazeera.

The GW encampment introduced school protests which have gripped the nation to a campus that’s blocks away from the White Home and the Division of State.

Wessels pressured the importance of the protests happening within the seat of the federal US authorities, the place President Joe Biden authorized $26bn in assist to Israel days in the past.

“If we weren’t doing something in DC, then we’re not residing as much as our ethical accountability,”  Wessels mentioned.

‘That is about Gaza’

A number of college students and organisers informed Al Jazeera on Thursday that they remained centered on Gaza and Palestine, the place the Israeli army has killed greater than 34,000 individuals, and mass graves proceed to be found.

“This whole encampment was made with each single messaging to be across the genocide in Gaza and to revolve round centring all the calls for on Gaza,” mentioned Mimi Ziad, an activist with the Palestinian Youth Motion.

“This isn’t concerning the college students. That is about Gaza. That is about all of Palestine.”

College students draped in keffiyehs had congregated on a GW grass garden dotted with tents round a statue of George Washington, the primary American president.

“George Washington says free Palestine,” learn a paper signal that was taped to the statue.

The protesters raised their voices in unison to the beats of a drum in assist of Palestinians, condemning Israel for its violations.

“The scholars, united, won’t ever be defeated,” they chanted, as Palestinian flags waved alongside indicators calling for a everlasting ceasefire in Gaza.

Scholar organisers, sporting yellow and pink vests, directed foot site visitors throughout the demonstration and handed bottles of water to individuals.

“It feels nice to be round different individuals who see the truth we see and who share the outrage and frustration and in addition share the vitality to resolve the issue,” mentioned Elliott Colla, a Georgetown college member who joined the protest at GW.

A number of demonstrators mentioned pushing universities to divest from Israel can have a tangible impact on the battle, as boycotts of South Africa helped finish the apartheid system within the early Nineteen Nineties.

School activism round Gaza has taken centre stage in US politics in latest days.

A Palestine solidarity encampment at Columbia College in New York confronted a police crackdown and arrests final week as the faculty administration known as on legislation enforcement to clear the protest. The college has now set a Friday deadline for the protest to disband.

However college students continued to show. Their marketing campaign unfold to different schools throughout the nation, together with the College of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), Boston’s Emerson School, Georgia’s Emory College and the College of Southern California (USC), with dozens of scholars additionally arrested on the establishments.

Anti-Semitism accusations

Professional-Israel politicians from each main events have been condemning the protesters and accusing them of anti-Semitism – a cost that Palestinian rights activists reject.

On Wednesday, Home Speaker Mike Johnson visited the Columbia campus and accused the protesters of intimidating and threatening Jewish college students. He additionally instructed withholding funding to universities that enable pro-Palestinian protests.

“If these campuses can’t get management of this drawback, they don’t deserve taxpayer {dollars},” Johnson, who was met with “Mike, you suck!” chants, mentioned.

However pupil protesters throughout the nation have condemned anti-Semitism, noting that lots of the demonstrators are themselves Jewish. Donia, a protester at GW, mentioned such accusations of anti-Semitism are hurting the struggle in opposition to bigotry.

“If you’re accusing anybody who’s in opposition to genocide in Gaza of being anti-Semitic, you’re dropping the precise which means of the motion in opposition to anti-Semitism,” Donia, who selected to be recognized by her first title solely out of concern of reprisal, informed Al Jazeera.

She added that pro-Israel advocates had been “freaking out” and making an attempt to repress the coed motion with anti-Semitism allegations as a result of they know it’s efficient.

“Plenty of the long run era of politicians on this nation are at these universities, they usually’re not shopping for their lies any extra. That’s what’s actually scaring them,” Donia mentioned.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed on the protests on Wednesday, calling them horrific. “Anti-Semitic mobs have taken over main universities,” he mentioned.

His remarks prompted a rebuke from progressive US Senator Bernie Sanders, who’s Jewish.

“No, Mr Netanyahu. It’s not anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas to level out that in a bit over six months your extremist authorities has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded greater than 77,000 – 70 p.c of whom are ladies and kids,” Sanders mentioned in a press release on Thursday.

‘How can I be afraid?’

Zaid Abu-Abbas, an 18-year-old GW pupil, mentioned the protesters are merely calling for the rights of Palestinians to be protected, dismissing accusations of anti-Semitism as bogus.

He mentioned he was inspired by the turnout on the protest, expressing hope that the student-led demonstrations can result in change past campus.

“We’re in DC close to all these authorities buildings and politicians; they don’t have any different alternative however to see what we’re doing,” Abu-Abbas informed Al Jazeera.

The joyous ambiance at GW on Thursday drew a stark distinction with footage of violent arrests at different campuses.

Nonetheless, college students interviewed by Al Jazeera performed down the prospect of a legislation enforcement push to clear the encampment.

Ziad, the Palestinian Youth Motion activist, mentioned she is apprehensive concerning the college students, however she herself isn’t scared. “How can I be afraid if I’m Palestinian?”