ISLA VISTA, Calif. – Pro-Palestinian supporters called on UCSB students, teachers, workers and researchers to walk out of class on May Day.
Hundreds chanted “Free Palestine, free Palestine” as they marched from the engineering building to the library and beyond.
Some of the participants said they chose May Day to show their solidarity with Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions.
Many chanted about the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as they rallied.
Those words have been used by terrorist groups, but students protesting called their chants anti-war., rather than antisemitic.
“We’re just calling for the Freedom of Palestinian people, and there are Jewish Palestinian people, Muslim Palestinian people, Christian Palestinian people, and it’s very important to keep that in mind,” said Mohammed Rehman.
The engineering student said he is proud of his school and community for stepping up.
“One of our biggest focuses is divestment, obviously, divestment from all the arms companies that fund genocide in Palestine,” said Rehman.