Photo Gallery: Palestine Solidarity Walkout

November 10, 2023

A protestor holds a “free Palestine” poster in the rain at the tower steps during Thursday’s Palestine solidarity walkout. (Leila Saidane)

Students gather at the steps of the tower to review the letters addressed to the University before delivering to President Jay Hartzell’s office. The letters called on the University to publicly acknowledge the disruption of a Palestine Solidarity Committee educational event on Oct. 12, issue a statement condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and acknowledging the pain of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities, and to divest from weapon investment. (Leila Saidane)

Students hold signs in front of Greg Plaza to show solidarity at the Walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. The student holding the “No More $$$ for Genocide” sign later led the chant from the back of the crowd. (Charlotte Keene)

Palestine solidarity committee organizers hold banners and flags as leaders call, “Justice is our demand,” before the crowd’s response, “No more peace on stolen land.” (Leila Saidane)

“Hey Jay Hartzell, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” students chant on the steps of Greg Gym during Thursday’s walkout demonstration organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee. Students demanded the University to divest from weapon investments in Israel and protect pro-Palestinian voices on campus.
(Leila Saidane)

Students walk out of class at noon and gather at Gregory Gym in solidarity with Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. Protesters chanted “Gaza Gaza, don’t you cry. We will never let you die.” (Manoo Sirivelu)

The Palestine Solidarity Committee organized walk-out met on the Gregory Plaza at 12 p.m. on Nov. 9, gathering in the rain to call for change from the University in their response to the ongoing conflict and an acknowledgment of Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students.
(Leila Saidane)

The Palestine solidarity committee leads the student crowd in chant at Gregory Gym. (Manoo Sirivelu)

A student wearing a Keffiyeh stands in the rain on Gregory Plaza for the Palestine Solidarity Committee organized walkout on Nov. 9. Students called for change from the University in their response to the ongoing conflict and an acknowledgment of Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students.
(Leila Saidane)

Students gather at Gregory Gym and chant in solidarity with Palestine at the walkout on Nov. 9, 2023. (Manoo Sirivelu)

Sophomore Speech Language and Hearing Science major Fiona joins a crowd of students at the PSC’s walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. She holds a sign that reads “UT funds genocide.” (Naina Srivastava)

A student repeats chants at the PSC’s walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. (Naina Srivastava)

Students chant “Gaza, Gaza, don’t you cry, we will never let you die,” at the PSC’s walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. (Naina Srivastava)

Students chant on the Gregory Plaza to call for change from the University in their response to the ongoing conflict and an acknowledgment of Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students. Prior to the walkout, the Palestine Solidarity Committee released a student statement of solidarity with Palestine and a petition that has gathered over 475 signatures. (Leila Saidane)

Students march to the Tower from speedway after beginning the walkout demonstration at Gregory Plaza. (Leila Saidane)

Pro-Israel counter-protestors wave Israel flags at by-passing pro-Palestine demonstrators on Speedway on Nov. 9, 2023. Students marched from the steps of Greg gym to the tower, chanting and giving speeches before dozens of students hand-delivered the printed petition to the provost and President’s office. (Leila Saidane)

Pro-Israel counter-protestors wave Israel flags behind a pro-Palestine demonstrator holding a sign reading “No more $$ for genocide.” (Leila Saidane)

A Palestine Solidarity Committee member leads the crowd down speedway to the tower on Thursday’s walkout. (Manoo Sirivelu)

A community leader guides the crowd towards the tower for the Walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. (Charlotte Keene)

The Palestine Solidarity Committee organized walk-out met on the Gregory Plaza at 12 p.m. on Nov. 9, gathering in the rain to call for change from the University in their response to the ongoing conflict and an acknowledgment of Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students. “Jay Hartzell’s lack of initiative to actually address Palestinian students and Muslim students is contributing to a heightened level of Islamophobia, be it either in West Campus, on campus or even through social media posts by UT students,” Mohammed Zakzok, Palestine Solidarity Committee member, said. “Antisemitism and Islamophobia and other forms of hatred are always intertwined.”
(Leila Saidane)

Students and supporters move from Greg Plaza to the tower during the Walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. (Charlotte Keene)

Protesters march to the UT Tower during the Palestine Solidarity walkout on Nov. 9, 2023. They chanted for acknowledgment of Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students and a divestment from weapon investment. (Manoo Sirivelu)

Students demanded for UT to divest from weapon investments in Israel and protect pro-Palestinian voices on campus after marching to the tower steps on Nov. 9. They specifically called for the university to publicly acknowledge the disruption of a Palestine Solidarity Committee educational event on Oct. 12 and issue a statement condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and acknowledging the pain of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities.
(Leila Saidane)

Students walk out of class at noon and gather at Gregory Gym in solidarity with Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. (Manoo Sirivelu)

Community organizers address the crowd with rhetoric against the financial support of Israel at the Walkout for Palestine on Nov. 9, 2023. (Charlotte Keene)

A protester plays drums during the Palestine Solidarity walkout on Nov. 9, 2023. (Manoo Sirivelu)

Palestine Solidarity Committee organizers embrace at the end of the demonstration on Nov. 9, 2023. (Manoo Sirivelu)

Protestors climbed the steps to the Vice President and Provost office inside the tower to hand deliver copies of the Palestine Solidarity Committee student statement of solidarity. Online, the petition has gathered over 475 signatures. (Leila Saidane)

Ten at a time, students hand deliver their demands to the University to the Vice President and Provost office and President Jay Hartzell’s office, and are met with no immediate response.
The statement provided a brief summary of the historical context of Gaza and called on the University to publicly acknowledge the disruption of a Palestine Solidarity Committee educational event on Oct. 12 and issue a statement condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and acknowledging the pain of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim communities. The statement also called on the University to divest from weapon investments in Israel and protect pro-Palestinian voices on campus. (Leila Saidane)

About the Contributors

Leila Saidane, Photo Editor

Leila Saidane is a junior from Dallas, Texas, studying Radio-TV-Film and Journalism. Her words and photos have been published in The Texas Tribune, The Austin Chronicle, The Austin American-Statesman and The Dallas Morning News.

Naina Srivastava, Senior News Reporter & Senior Photographer

Naina is a freshman journalism major from Mountain View, California. She is currently a senior news reporter and senior photographer at the Texan.