‘Wall’ event protests conflict

Students for Justice in Palestine protest today at the Bell Tower.

Today, April 26, Temple Students for Justice in Palestine will demonstrate at the Bell Tower from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The group has constructed an 8 foot “Apartheid Wall” in portrayal of the 25 foot, 700 kilometer-long Israeli Wall that extends throughout Palestine, dividing the land and separating its inhabitants, according to representatives from the student organization.

“We are holding this demonstration to raise awareness to the Temple community of the injustices, which are purposely left out from the mainstream media, committed by Israel upon the Palestinians since their 1948 occupation,” said Razi Fareed, the event coordinator for Students for Justice in Palestine, in an email.

The group also plans to present “mock” Israeli checkpoints, which will include volunteers posing as Israeli soldiers and lines of Israeli and Palestinian “citizens.” Each volunteer will have a “passport” to identify their nationality, Fareed said.

The group plans to hold up the “Palestinians” and force them to sit down while blindfolded, holding up a poster in front of them “displaying an important message.”

The National Lawyers Guild will also be present to act as “legal observers,” Fareed said.

“What is happening in Palestine is a big mystery to many Americans,” Fareed said, adding that the Palestinian people have suffered political, social, economic and civil discriminatory laws.

“[It is] our duty as human rights activists and students to [expose this], ” he said.

Valerie Rubinsky can be reached at valerie.rubinsky@temple.edu.