Approximately 20 students staged a sit-in inside the Administration Building on Wednesday, March 26, marking the anniversary of the arrest of nine demonstrators.
The demonstration, led by SB4Palestine, was in protest of the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil — a recipient of a Master in Public Administration from Columbia University and a pro-Palestinian activist who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — as well as President Donald J. Trump administration’s deportation threats, the breaking of the Gaza ceasefire and Stony Brook University’s refusal to divest from Israel.
The sit-in began at approximately 12:30 p.m. and continued without any disruptions, as some of the protesters left around 2 p.m. Adam, a SB4Palestine organizer and protester arrested in last year’s sit-in, requested anonymity for his last name over safety concerns and gave a brief speech to those in attendance.
“Our enemies are the American capitalists and the vanguard of the revolution is the working class led by workers right here in the imperial core,” Adam said.
In an interview, Adam said that it was important for the Stony Brook community to re-address the current situation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in light of what happened on campus last year.
“We just wanted to do something on the anniversary [of the nine arrested demonstrators since] last week, the ceasefire was broken, which is something we always knew was going to happen,” Adam said. “There’s still a genocide going on — both assaults on Gaza and the West Bank — so we just want to keep coming out. Empty solidarity isn’t enough, and we want to start organizing and build a real revolutionary base here.”
After the short speech, the protesters continued their sit-in with minimal disruptions. Some studied or worked on assignments, while others distributed food and quietly conversed. The protesters also had a list of demands and an accompanying petition, which they promoted in a pamphlet, urging the administration to “affirm their commitment to supporting undocumented, international and noncitizen students and staff.”
Sumaq Kilari, a senior double majoring in journalism and Spanish language and literature, wore the flag of the American Indian Movement and criticized Israel’s actions in an interview.
“It’s not a war, it’s a genocide,” Kilari said. “Israel broke the ceasefire and right now we have to try to stop the [United States] from sending billions [of dollars in military aid] to Israel, send humanitarian aid [to Gaza and put] pressure on the Israeli government to stop [its attacks].”
Kilari also expressed her fears over Khalil’s arrest at the order of the Trump administration. A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that the reasoning behind Khalil’s arrest was in “support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.”
“I am a resident — I have a green card — but because of what’s happening, I do not feel safe,” Kilari said. “[Khalil] has a green card and his wife is a citizen, but now with the Trump administration, it’s going to be easier to get deported.”
Nicole, a protester who asked to remain anonymous over concerns for potential backlash, expressed skepticism toward a two-state solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“I want to say there should be a two-state solution, but I feel as though that would be rough, ” Nicole said. “They’re going to keep on attacking if there is a two-state solution, but you can’t just take everyone out of Israel since there are people who were born there.”
Matthew, a protester who requested that his last name remain anonymous over safety concerns, said he hoped for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
“Obviously there needs to be an end to the [Israeli] occupation. There needs to be self-determination for the Palestinians that includes control over [resources] like food, water and the land,” Matthew said.
Brianna Denaro, a demonstrator and a junior majoring in anthropology, said that it is important, not only for her but for her peers, to continue their commitment to showing support for Palestine.
“We don’t want ties with Israel. We don’t want ties with the U.S. colonial state and as college students, we are the voice of the next generation, and as far as I am aware, we’ve usually been on the right side of history,” Denaro said.
Adam expressed his discontent with the University’s lack of response to the protests and their demands.
“They haven’t really said much. It’s typical for them to go radio silent or maybe on occasion release some watered down statement … I just hope they will look at our demands, especially our immigration demands,” Adam said. “I know they’re so resistant to our divestment demands … [but] we need our immigrant students and faculty to be protected [in light of ICE arrests].”
Stony Brook University officials who monitored the sit-in reaffirmed the University’s dedication to its guidelines for on-campus demonstrations.
“Stony Brook University is committed to a safe and inclusive campus. We do not tolerate discrimination and harassment, and as a public university, we are committed to freedom of speech subject to our content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions,” a spokesperson for the University wrote.
The University also stressed the importance of adhering to legal guidelines while ensuring student safety.
“Keeping our students safe is paramount, and we will continue to follow all federal, state, and local laws and guidance from the New York State Attorney General,” they wrote.
