Widespread protests against the war between Israel and Palestine have found prominent roles on college campuses, including that of a student activist group at SUNY Oswego unaffiliated with the university.

The Oswego chapter of Students For Justice For Palestine (SJP) has been amping up its efforts to involve students in bringing awareness to the Israel and Palestine conflict, leading to an increase in campus police presence. 

Protests on college campuses have been common across the nation within the past year, most notably at Columbia University, where over 100 students were arrested throughout a several-week-long protest. Although there have been no arrests on the Oswego campus, actions by SJP Oswego have had their consequences. 

Dani Rahal, secretary of the group, recently received a disciplinary warning from the school administration after she was charged with solicitation and property destruction for placing stickers with the Palestinian flag around campus.

Rahal noted that campus police have been monitoring the group closely ever since last semester when a group of student protestors marched around campus, eventually ending up at Shady Shore, where university President Peter Nwosu resides.

Despite escalation seen on other college campuses like Columbia University, Rahall insists that SJP Oswego has no intent to become violent. 

Rahal described the organization as peaceful, with no intentions to escalate their means of protest beyond speeches, vigils and walks.

“Not much of our activism on campus is in retaliation for things,” Rahall said. “It is also meant to be educational with open discussions, open opportunities to welcome everyone to come learn about [the war in Gaza] and to come talk about it.”

Organizations such as the Women’s Center and the Black Student Union have become active members in the group’s protests and vigils. Throughout October, various events have been hosted by SJP Oswego and supported by student groups. Most recently was “Take Back the Night,” a walk by the Women’s Center to raise awareness of sexual assault. At the walk were members of SJP Oswego, displaying Palestinian flags and chanting “free Palestine” as they reached the Marano Campus Center.

Various SUNY schools, as well as colleges and universities across the country, have their own branches of SJP and often remain in contact with one another, updating on their goals.

The group’s goal, according to Rahall, is to “completely divest every SUNY school, all 64 of them, so that we can have a clean conscience with what we’re doing, where we are studying, the money that we are spending.” 

Currently, many SUNY schools have study-abroad programs that include trips to Israel. The concern stems from any money contributed by the SUNY system toward the state potentially being used to invest in Israeli bonds. To Rahall, divestment by the school system would allow for the money to be put back into the universities for physical improvements on campus like sidewalk repair, more accessibility for disabled students and the ability to financially assist students struggling to pay for required textbooks. 

Rahall hopes the attention SJP Oswego is receiving will help to increase their numbers.

“Do what you as one person can do,” Rahall said. “As long as you have good intentions in your heart and you make good moves toward something that’s greater than yourself, that’s all that matters.” 

A similar idea was expressed by fellow student activist, Sarah Dormé. Although Dormé is involved with the Golden Z on campus, she is a part of multiple activist groups within the community. She commended the campus activist groups for making their events accessible for anybody. 

“A general event like a peace walk is a positive change to public spaces as a whole,” Dormé said. “It is our student leaders working on this to bring awareness to students, but also to the school as a whole.”

Photo provided by Dani Rahal