political action

Students at the University of Illinois Chicago walked out of classes and gathered in the quad to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack and the resulting Gaza war. Organized by Students for Justice in Palestine and allied groups, the event included speeches from both Jewish and Palestinian students, a teach-in on occupation, and a peaceful show of solidarity. Demonstrators laid symbolic items—like shoes and stuffed animals—on campus lawns to honor Palestinian children who lost their lives . UIC’s administration supported registered groups using the quad for expressive activity, emphasizing the balance of free speech and unity . The protest was part of a broader wave of campus actions across Chicago—including Northwestern and DePaul—that called for divestment, ceasefires, and institutional accountability