Pro-Palestinian ‘Community Care Day’ protest defies Cannon Green site ban, US turns a blind eye

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a rally in Cannon Green to disrupt the second annual Community Care Day (CCD). encourages Wellbeing on campus on Friday.

Around 60 protesters gathered in East Pyne Courtyard at 5pm before the campus moved to Cannon Green, where organized protests are now openly protesting. Forbidden. Despite new signs on Cannon Green this term that read: “This area is reserved for officially sanctioned University events and may not be used for other organized activities without permission,” the demonstration was able to go ahead as planned.

“Thank you all for coming to Community Care Day, where your school invests in genocide while ignoring the reality of mental health,” one speaker said. Protesters handed out signs with messages such as “Princeton withdrew from genocide” and “Please remember that Princeton financed genocide.”

University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, Vice President for Public Safety Kenneth Strother, and Vice President for Communications and Government Affairs Gadi Dechter were also on the scene when the protest broke out.

CCD, hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Campus Life. offers “A variety of fun and relaxing activities throughout the day,” including yoga, lawn games and watercolor painting. The events lasted from 08.00 in the morning until 19.00 in the evening.

Friday rally fallen During SJP’s “Rage Week” from October 21 to October 27. They organized events throughout the week; these included a Palestine advocacy panel for students on October 23 and a Women of Global Indigenous panel hosted by Indigenous people at Princeton on October 21. On Friday, SJP held a Friday prayer ceremony for Gaza before the rally.

After gathering in East Pyne, protesters moved to Cannon Green, where the climax of the CCD, called the “Community Gathering”, took place. A game of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” played on a lawn-mounted screen as more than 100 students lined up in front of food trucks from local vendors such as Jammin’ Crepes and Nomad Pizza. President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 was also present for parts of the event.

While on the grass, protesters chanted slogans such as “Caring for the community means our camp at Cannon Green”, “If you care about your mental health, don’t fund bombs with your wealth” and “Cannon Green is where we stand, disinvestment is ours”. sue.”

The event’s DJ, set up in a corner of the lawn, reacted by turning up the volume of the music, making it impossible to hear the chants. Most of the audience ignored the protest, lined up for food, and continued to watch the Charlie Brown movie on display. While some protesters tried to drown out the noise with a megaphone, others intervened by banging on makeshift drums made from plastic buckets. The Daily Princetonian observed a minimal presence of Public Safety (PSAFE) around the lawn. At one point, protesters briefly sat on the grass and chanted.

Student audience member Hari Iyer GS shared with ‘Prince’ that he supported the protesters’ right to assemble there. “I think protesting is a great thing, and I think activism is a very important part of civic life,” he said.

Tony Smith, a non-student who identified himself as a member of the Princeton community, echoed this sentiment, telling ‘Prince’: “I’m disappointed in the administration because this is supposed to be about community care, mental health and wellbeing, and this is 100 percent ignorant.” , is disrespectful, shameful and annoying, for so long that people have been demanding that the University – not just last year, but for over a decade – not pay people who kill children.”

Protesters then marched to the front of Nassau Hall, where they were joined by more PSAFE officers, as well as free speech coordinators and several members of the University administration. At one point, University staff intervened in an argument between a pro-Israel community member and several protesters.

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This rally is at least the third pro-Palestinian rally held in Princeton this semester. These rallies, which were smaller than the rallies related to the “Gaza Solidarity Camp” held last spring, generally continued uninterrupted despite the intensification of the protests. regulations this autumn.

Isabella Dail is a staff news writer and editor-in-chief of The Prospect for the ‘Prince’.

Sophie Brissett is a contributing News writer and a contributing Newsletter writer for ‘The Prince’.

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