University of Alabama students protest war in Gaza, campus investments
Holding a sign that read “Tide Against Genocide,” a group of several dozen University of Alabama students gathered at the university’s student center Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza – and to urge the college to cut ties with a top defense contractor.
“As students of the University of Alabama, we can no longer stand by in silent complicity as our institution funds a state-sponsored massacre of Palestinians,” read a flyer for the demonstration. The group is calling on the university to end its relationship with Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor that it said has “supplied Israel with fighter jets, Hellfire missiles, and other weapons that are currently being used to slaughter Palestinians.”
Counter-protesters, some holding American flags and Trump banners, began to gather near the fountain a few minutes into the peaceful demonstration, according to social media accounts. University police cordoned the groups off with cones and ropes.
Crimson White editor Maven Navarro captured video of one group of students chanting “Free, free Palestine,” while the other sang the national anthem. At one point, both groups chanted “F— Joe Biden.” The protests lasted about three hours.
The demonstrations come after days of protests on college campuses across the United States, including many tent encampments of demonstrators calling on their universities to stop doing business with Israel.
According to the Associated Press, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 70,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip since Israel’s war on Hamas began nearly five months ago. About 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
The Tuscaloosa demonstrations appeared to remain peaceful, but were monitored by several police officers on both sides. According to the Crimson White, campus police distributed a flyer, dated May 1, that outlined campus protest policies, which prohibited bullhorns and overnight camping. It is unclear whether those policies are new.
“The University of Alabama is committed to free and open inquiry and expression for members of the University campus community,” the university said in a statement Wednesday. “As part of this commitment, UA encourages responsible deliberation and debate on campus facilitates numerous opportunities for members of our community to express differing points of view. While maintaining neutrality on matters of free speech, UA has policies in place to regulate access to facilities and grounds to ensure safety and security on campus and to maintain the orderly operations of the University.
“Any protests must be fully compliant with all applicable University policies, and any deviation from those policies will be promptly addressed. To help ensure peaceful event, University staff has shared the attached guidance, which is consistent with existing University policy, with event organizers.”
UA recently named a building after alumna Marillyn Hewson, then-CEO of Lockheed. In 2018, Hewson made a $15 million gift to the university – then the largest in UA history. The university also has partnered with the company to create a data analytics lab, and has held multiple Lockheed recruiting events on campus.
The university’s endowment is valued at $1.2 billion, according to a 2023 report.
Demonstrators are urging the college to:
- Rename Hewson Hall,
- End its official partnership with Lockheed Martin,
- No longer allow the company to recruit on campus,
- Disclose a list of investments and divest from corporations supporting the war,
- Stop conducting research funded by the Department of Defense, and
- Publicly call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza