Students held up signs that read “Resistance is Not Terrorism” and “Ceasefire Now” while marching. Chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” echoed off the walls of the St. Louis County Council meeting on Tuesday.
Students from Webster, Washington University and University of Missouri—St. Louis demanded the St. Louis County Council to approve a cease-fire resolution in the Israel-Hamas war. Webster students made their way to the meeting by walking out of classes and rallied at the Council chamber in Clayton on Jan. 23.
Students initially gathered on the Quad and then marched beyond the campus, circling the drive-thru of McDonald’s on Big Bend Boulevard. They then met with protesters from other universities at the council meeting. Only 100 members of the public were permitted inside the meeting, where they would eventually chant for cease-fire in Palestine.
“We believe that the politicians who can be won over by morality and rationality have already been won over by watching the most well documented genocide in human history,” student organizer Luke Adams said. “Therefore, we believe it is necessary to disrupt and inconvenience our elected officials until they give in to the will of the people…”
The disruption in the council meeting began during the section of the proceedings reserved for public comment on agenda items.
Activist Paige Mathys led the protesters in a series of chants during the processings. Mathys was promptly arrested for refusing police orders to clear the chamber.
The Council meeting paused to clear the chambers after Mathys’ speech. Members later returned, scheduling the meeting to continue virtually at 4 p.m. on Friday.
Mathys said their passion for this conflict came about through witnessing the damage inflicted on Palestine through social media. They feel that it is necessary to do everything possible in an attempt to disrupt the status quo and make change.
“Being an activist in the world today used to be very lonely, until recently,” Mathys said.
“Being an activist in such a charged climate means you have to toe the line between being sensitive enough to a person’s genuine concerns and knowing when to push people into a state of discomfort that makes them start to question the reality around them.”
Mathys believes that institutions should begin the process of divesting from the corporations that are responsible “for funding and supplying the resources to carry out this genocide.” They also encourage universities to make a statement in support of their students who are directly affected by the ongoing situation.
Activist and student Cade Sturgeon urges Webster University to use its power as an international university campus to push for a cease-fire resolution. He hopes that the walk-out showed Webster University that “its student body is committed to anti-genocide.”
Webster students who participated in the walk-out went against the mandated restrictions of student protest by going off campus grounds. Dean of Students John Buck said there is more to consider than just student safety when it comes to protests: the reputation of the university was also at stake.
This issue goes beyond solely Webster students. Even alumni of the university are advocating for these convictions.
“We need the attention, unfortunately,” Palestinian-American Webster alum Sara Bannoura said. “That’s what the disruption is for because the media does a good job at forgetting that this is going on and this is how we keep the conversation going.”
A cease-fire resolution was approved in St. Louis City just weeks before on Jan. 12. Demonstrators are planning on attending a county council meeting next week.
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