Yesterday at 4 p.m., Northeastern Mishelanu, an Israeli culture and Zionist club, hosted two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers to speak on campus at Reynolds Hall on 171 Hemenway St. The procession began at Tatte Bakery & Cafe on Huntington Avenue, where Mishelanu members met clashing pro-Palestine protesters who held up banners that read “Anti-Genocide ≠ Anti-Semitism” and “Murderers! Get the fuck off our campus!” After 20 minutes, the Mishelanu members began walking towards 171 Hemenway St, where the IDF soldiers spoke about the atrocities they have committed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. After the soldiers entered Reynolds Hall, protesters began shouting chants such as “No justice, no peace!” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes!”

The IDF speaker event was preceded by online backlash on Instagram, where Northeastern Mishelanu originally advertised it. Multiple pro-Palestine users hailed it as a “celebration for war criminals” on their Instagram stories and shamed Northeastern for allowing members of the IDF onto our campus. Following the harsh response, Northeastern Mishelanu reposted the flier four times with different meeting locations and required an RSVP to the event, presumably to deter protesters. Reposting also meant that comments from the pro-Palestine users, including those tagging and shaming Northeastern, were deleted.

The following testimonies are from pro-Palestine activists who were present outside of Reynolds Hall during the protest. All opted to stay anonymous due to fear of losing academic freedoms and being doxxed.

“I couldn't sit by while genocidal military forces were being welcomed on our campus,” said a fourth-year engineering major. “The censorship for any support of Palestinian liberation at NEU is bad enough, but to bring those specifically carrying out the violence in Gaza to our campus can not be allowed.”

Following a year of pro-Palestine demonstrations and a two-day encampment in Centennial Common, Northeastern administration tightened its Code of Student of Conduct with restrictive policies to discourage and limit student activism. The new policy forbids overnight demonstrations, such as encampments, as well as the posting of structures and images on university property. The Code of Conduct’s most inflammatory new amendment allows for Northeastern administration to withhold, delay, or revoke degrees and scholarships if a student violates a policy. In the event that a student’s degree is revoked or withheld, administration can deny refunds for tuition, housing and board.

During the protest, activists communicated with anyone who was interested in the protest and explained why they were there. Atta, a PlusOne computer science student who opted to keep their last name anonymous, said, “over half the cars that passed by honked to the tune of our chants and showed signs of support, which motivated us even more.”

The anonymous fourth-year engineering major agreed with this statement, stating that “the general consensus is that war criminals have no place here—which is all the more reason to continue denormalizing these Zionist war-mongering entities.”

According to eyewitness testimony, people at the pro-Palestine demonstration outnumbered people at the Northeastern Mishelanu event by 1 to 3 at the protest’s peak, with only six people attending the IDF “seminar” in total and approximately 20 people attending the protest. “The actual IDF event only had six attendees, plus the two war criminals they came to see,” said the fourth-year engineering major. “To have an event with more protesters than attendees is very telling of how the community feels towards these types of events.”

Despite the support shown by passersby, both on-foot and in cars, Zionist counter protesters heckled the pro-Palestine demonstrators across the street by shouting expletives and attempting to photograph their faces. At one point, the hecklers took off their shirts in an attempt to display dominance over the crowd. “[Some] event organizers just had smug smiles as we talked to passersby about the war crimes they’re supporting. One elderly man who passed by talked about the conflicts that occurred when he lived in West Africa and likened it to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, all the while the Zionists kept smiling and laughing,” said Atta.

Another pro-Palestine protester, who wished to remain completely anonymous, also discussed the harassment. “The counter protesters were white and actively tried to follow us and record us in our face even though we stood on the opposite side of the road and did not try to engage directly with them. They were the ones trying to…provoke us. The protest was stopped only because a cop car pulled up to intimidate us into leaving. We were on public property.”

Boston police were present during the entire demonstration, presumably by the request of Northeastern Mishelanu or school administration. Near the end of the demonstration, at around 5:45 p.m, police parked a paddy wagon, a vehicle used to make mass-arrests, next to the protest to intimidate activists into dispersing. Lina Petronino, a Burning Rose journalist, overheard the officers joking about bringing the paddy wagon to the demonstration as she walked to a friend’s apartment.

“There is such a strong double standard: Counter protesters are always white and straight passing, while we are a mix of marginalized people,” said the anonymous protester. “They can call the police on us to intimidate us, have full backing of the administration to invite soldiers and hold harmful screenings, and are able to not worry about their identity being doxxed.”

Some protesters believe the lack of attendance is a push in the right direction. “This event shows that Zionists on campus are realizing that they are wrong in their support for the genocide against Palestinians,” said the anonymous fourth-year engineering major. “They changed the location and time multiple times and made [it] completely inaccessible, which is why there were only six attendees… This event was a push in the direction of denormalization of Zionism and of supporting violence against Palestinians, a shift that was made by community members speaking up for what's right.”

In the wake of the IDF’s shameful visit to Northeastern campus, multiple students displayed their rage towards Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the ongoing horrific genocide against its people. Despite incessant intimidation of protesters by Northeastern administration, Boston police, and campus Zionists, the pro-Palestine movement at Northeastern will not rest until Palestine is free.

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE.

FROM THE SEA TO THE RIVER, PALESTINE WILL LIVE FOREVER.