University of Tennessee students host vigil for Palestine to demand divestment by university

A solemn student vigil in support of Palestine on the University of Tennessee campus May 1 stands in contrast with the images of police tearing down encampments at other campuses across America.

Like their peers at other campuses, Students for Justice in Palestine called for Knoxville campus leaders to disclose any investments tied to Israel and divest from them.

"It's really tough to know that the money you earn and the money that you spend goes to oppress the people of Palestine. And the United States, as well as especially the University of Tennessee, should have no part in any of (this)," Students for Justice in Palestine co-founder Hamzah Saleh told the crowd of about 100.

Saleh and the group also asked UT leaders to cancel a study abroad trip to Israel.

Advocates said they gathered for peace, awareness and solidarity with the Palestinian people trapped by the Israel-Hamas war. Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza on Oct 7. The attackers killed more than 1,100 people, most civilians, and took hostage about 205 people. Some people targeted in the attacks accuse Hamas fighters of raping and sexually assaulting some Israelis.

Israel launched a massive counterattack that has claimed the lives of more than 34,500 Palestinians, the Gaza Health Ministry told Reuters on April 30. Palestinian health officials say two-thirds of the killed were women and children.

"Today, it's just all the students really coming together to show the University of Tennessee that, as students, we don't support any investments abroad for the state of Israel, or anything that can help facilitate the apartheid that's being imposed on the Palestinian people, and that they need to disclose the investments to the students here and the community here so we can make sure they align with our core values as an institution," Saleh said.

"That's not just our right to know, that's also the administration's responsibility."

College campuses have been hot spots of activism marked by encampments and demonstrations demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war and often divestment in Israel. Columbia University has dominated national headlines, particularly after police raided a student-occupied building April 30.

What is Students for Justice in Palestine and what are its demands?

UT recognized Students for Justice in Palestine as an organization in January, Saleh told Knox News. The group hosts events educating students about Palestine and its history.

"Our main goal isn't protest. A lot of times our voices isn't heard, but our number one goal is to educate our fellow student body," Saleh said.

The group posted an April 30 list of demands on Instagram, including a call for transparency on investments and donations, for divestment of endowments from corporations directly or indirectly involved in wars or conflicts, cancelation of the study abroad program trip to Israel and rejection of threats to free speech.

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee students host vigil for Palestine