What good is my degree if it must be bought with silence?” asked Sarah Aljitawi, a Palestinian-American junior, as she stood in front of a crowd in the cutting wind and cold rain, on March 20, 2025, on Wilson Quadrangle, on the University of Rochester (UR) River Campus in Rochester, NY.
Those in front of her came together in a show of solidarity with students being persecuted by the Trump administration for their involvement in pro-Palestine activism, and to demand free speech protections on their campus.
As Israel’s campaign of mass killing, forced displacement, and infrastructural ruin began in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre perpetrated by Hamas, students at hundreds of universities across the country and the globe took action. Organizing under the banner of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, they lobbied their college administrators to call for a ceasefire and to disclose and divest from academic and financial connections to Israel.
“What good is my degree, if it must be bought with my silence?”
Sarah Aljitawi
Aljitawi, a leader in this movement, has family in Gaza who have been repeatedly displaced since Oct. 7, 2023. Due to her role as an organizer against the conflict, she has faced disciplinary measures from UR and has seen friends and peers arrested, suspended, and expelled for their involvement.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, Columbia University’s pro-Palestine movement became a model for the strategies and attitudes other student organizers would adopt, and Khalil’s arrest signaled a new era of federal power seizure on university campuses. The Trump administration has sought to exact stringent federal oversight at universities, slashed and threatened federal funding, and targeted international students, in some cases abducting them off the street or campus. Khalil’s arrest, according to President Donald Trump, would be the “first of many to come” regarding pro-Palestine protesters, who Trump characterized as “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American.”
“My arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza, which resumed in full force Monday night. With January’s ceasefire now broken, parents in Gaza are once again cradling too-small shrouds, and families are forced to weigh starvation and displacement against bombs. It is our moral imperative to persist in the struggle for their complete freedom.”
“To exist is to resist.”
A common refrain referring to the experience of being Palestinian
“‘Do not say you’re Palestinian to anyone,’” Aljitawi’s grandmother told her a few weeks after Oct. 7, 2023, “‘Say you're American. If they ask you if you're Arab, say you’re Jordanian. Do not say you're Palestinian.”
This appeal was born out of fear: According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), complaints of anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim incidents increased by 178% in the last three months of 2023. Violence has characterized the police reaction to campus protests at numerous institutions across the US, whereas the demonstrations themselves, including at the University of Rochester, have been overwhelmingly peaceful.
“Morally Our Duty”
Laith Awad
Laith Awad
“Imagine trying to coordinate food, cleanliness, activities for like, 100 people,” says Aljitawi, “It was like running a summer camp.” In addition to this, the student organizers faced the added pressure of negotiating with administrators and the impending fear that the encampment would be forcibly removed.
“Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!” A call-and-response chant that ended every nightly encampment meeting
Alvi grew up in East Harlem, NY, in a Muslim Bangladeshi household. Islam was something his parents took comfort in as they raised their three children. Before attending the University of Rochester, Alvi described himself as a “Very strict conservative, like fundamentalist.” He says that growing up, “I didn't really have exposure to most Jewish people and especially, didn't have any Jewish friends.”
The two friends are now roommates living in an on-campus apartment. “We come from very different backgrounds,” Alvi says, “but are still able to be close. “My politics have greatly shifted because I have grown empathy for people not my own.”
When UR professor of religion Dr. Joshua Dubler saw the ADL and Brandeis Center Letter to Presidents of Colleges and Universities, issued in October, 2023, he says “it was pretty clear that we were going to be in this Mccarthyist place and the pressure built for me very quickly, that as a tenured, very identifiably Jewish professor, I couldn't do nothing.”
“Give us a conversation.”
Laith Awad
Laith Awad
At 10 am the next morning, Laith Awad led the students at a fast clip across campus toward Wallis Hall, the UR administrative building. As the group drew closer, they broke into a run. A student who had gone in earlier under the guise of an appointment opened the door from the inside, and protesters flowed in.
Demonstrations emerged outside Wallis Hall, and soon armed Department of Public Safety peace officers were in the building, monitoring, and doing their best to limit the movement of participants in the sit-in.
The students carried demands with them:
1. A call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
2. A commitment from the university to begin the process of academic divestment.
3. A lifting of the campus bans placed on five students.
4. Assurances that none of the students who participated in the sit-in would face consequences.
The initial excitement wore off as the temperature rose in the lobby, where the students had located themselves. The space was cramped, and the heat was palpable. People fanned each other with signs. Some lay on the floor, as others took turns reading the names off a list of thousands of Palestinians killed by the war in Gaza aloud from a long scroll on the floor.
After what Awad estimates was six or seven hours, he got word that Sarah Mangelsdorf, the president of UR, was willing to negotiate. He engaged in a tense series of phone calls and huddled consultations with the other students inside Wallis Hall. Eventually, they left the building with assurances that no one who participated in the sit-in would face consequences and an opportunity to make their case for divestment at an upcoming faculty senate meeting.
“‘You are nothing. All your belongings are nothing.
We are the ones in control.’” Laith Awad, on his perception of the University’s message on the morning of Ma 14, 2024
We are the ones in control.’” Laith Awad, on his perception of the University’s message on the morning of Ma 14, 2024
The protesters exited their tents and gathered in a tight line across the entry of the space, holding improvised barriers made of two-by-fours and sheet metal in front of them as they faced the officers.
The whirring of the drone above grew louder as Hayflinger continued: “Our goal is for you to be heard. Our goal is to respect that. But at the same time, we have an obligation to the University, and they’ve tried in good faith to communicate with you guys. And you haven’t upheld your part. So, what can we do to come to a peaceful resolution today? Are you not willing to engage in a peaceful resolution, is my question.”
“Meet the demands,” came a lone reply from within the group. Hayflinger made one more appeal and backed away. He spoke into his radio. Within seconds, masked officers knocked down the visual barrier at the rear of the encampment and tore into the space. They immediately began ripping down tents and throwing objects onto the grass. One officer held a handycam and filmed. The camp residents stood clustered at the edge, watching as the encampment that they had built and peacefully occupied for weeks was razed in minutes.
“They prefer to do all of that than having a conversation with us. It wasn't losing hope, but it was losing a little respect for people, because I'm someone who always tries to find the best in people and hope that they do know what's right; they do know what's good, eventually, they will understand. But that was lost from them.”
Sarah Aljitawi
Sarah Aljitawi prayed during the moment of silence, on Oct. 5, 2024, as she participated in a vigil as part of the One Year of Genocide, One Year of Resistance event, hosted at Martin Luther King Park, in Rochester, NY. She listened as a small fraction of the names of the now more than 50,000 Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Gaza were read.
“Why did God put me here and not there?” Aljitawi wonders, “I think in this case, it's because the only way change will occur is if you have people across the world, and especially in the US, advocate for not supporting Israeli apartheid and the Israeli government.”
Summer had passed, and as the students returned to campus, they were faced with a set of new protest policies that directly responded to the actions taken by those in the pro-Palestine movement over the past year. These policies significantly limited students' ability to demonstrate without consequence. Despite these new restrictions, the students remained resolute in their demands to their administration.
“Why did God put me here and not there?” Aljitawi wonders, “I think in this case, it's because the only way change will occur is if you have people across the world, and especially in the US, advocate for not supporting Israeli apartheid and the Israeli government.”
Summer had passed, and as the students returned to campus, they were faced with a set of new protest policies that directly responded to the actions taken by those in the pro-Palestine movement over the past year. These policies significantly limited students' ability to demonstrate without consequence. Despite these new restrictions, the students remained resolute in their demands to their administration.
Mowaz Alvi received a disciplinary probation, a status that means he is no longer in good standing with UR, after he was identified as a participant in a die-in during the UR Meliora Weekend alum festival. Alvi, along with 16 other students, covered their faces and put on white T-shirts with the names of individuals killed by Israeli fire in Gaza. They then lay motionless on Wilson Quadrangle, mimicking corpses, as the festival continued around them.
Reflecting on the disciplinary probation, Alvi stated, “I was not a disruption to the students. I was not a disruption to the faculty or the alumni. I sat down on a patch of grass for an hour and 30 minutes in the rain, and I was punished.”
Because of the probation, Alvi could now face suspension or expulsion if he violates the code of conduct.
Later that fall, UR entered the international spotlight after nearly 2,000 “wanted” posters targeting 13 individuals in the University of Rochester community (a mixture of faculty, staff, administration, medical personnel, and trustees) were wheat-pasted across campus on the night of November 10, 2024, by over 20 individuals. UR soon issued a statement condemning the action.
Because of the probation, Alvi could now face suspension or expulsion if he violates the code of conduct.
Later that fall, UR entered the international spotlight after nearly 2,000 “wanted” posters targeting 13 individuals in the University of Rochester community (a mixture of faculty, staff, administration, medical personnel, and trustees) were wheat-pasted across campus on the night of November 10, 2024, by over 20 individuals. UR soon issued a statement condemning the action.
As the story garnered more attention both in the news and from the Rochester community, the posters were characterized by UR as antisemitic. The Department of Public Safety announced that it was working with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as it investigated the incident.
“There's no empirical ground within the posters to claim that they're antisemitic,” says Dr. Lisa Cerami. In her view, the labelling of the posters as such “was not innocent. It was a political choice.” “They're not approaching this like academics,” says Cerami, who holds a doctorate from Princeton University, teaches courses at UR on German-Jewish cultural history, and is currently writing a book on antisemitism, “they're operating within a sectarian framework, and that sectarian framework is not interested in some kind of dispassionate understanding of what's going on there. They have a political goal, and the political goal is maximally leveraging this antisemitism claim to invalidate criticism of the state.” “The effect of the claim is that it creates this framework for criminalization.”
“There's no empirical ground within the posters to claim that they're antisemitic,” says Dr. Lisa Cerami. In her view, the labelling of the posters as such “was not innocent. It was a political choice.” “They're not approaching this like academics,” says Cerami, who holds a doctorate from Princeton University, teaches courses at UR on German-Jewish cultural history, and is currently writing a book on antisemitism, “they're operating within a sectarian framework, and that sectarian framework is not interested in some kind of dispassionate understanding of what's going on there. They have a political goal, and the political goal is maximally leveraging this antisemitism claim to invalidate criticism of the state.” “The effect of the claim is that it creates this framework for criminalization.”
Saafa Tahboub
On November 19, 2024, four UR students were arrested for their alleged participation in the postering and were charged with felony criminal mischief. They were taken from campus to the Monroe County Jail, where they were held for the night.
The students, who had already been suspended, were eventually expelled on the grounds that they had violated the student code of conduct. Since then, all but one have had their expulsions downgraded to two-year suspensions.
The students, who had already been suspended, were eventually expelled on the grounds that they had violated the student code of conduct. Since then, all but one have had their expulsions downgraded to two-year suspensions.
“Getting a degree now is not just about getting the degree, it's about surviving to get the degree,” says Saafa Tahboub, a Palestinian-American sophomore studying brain and cognitive science. “What happened with the four students has created so much fear on campus.” “Campus does not feel safe.”
Tahboub is the youngest organizer in the University of Rochester pro-Palestine movement, and as her peers leave the University, the responsibility of leadership will fall to her. “I think I've come to terms with the risks,” she says. “I would not like anything horrible to happen to me, because I have put work into this degree, but I know that at least what I'm doing is what's right, and it's what I believe in.”
As the Trump administration facilitates a federal campaign against higher education, on-campus pro-Palestine organizing is now more than ever weighed against the risks of academic consequence, deportation, incarceration, and physical harm.
As the Trump administration facilitates a federal campaign against higher education, on-campus pro-Palestine organizing is now more than ever weighed against the risks of academic consequence, deportation, incarceration, and physical harm.
Following the expulsion/suspensions of their peers and friends, Tahboub and senior Dariel Guerra ran for senate to ensure more rights for student protesters. Both were elected and have passed a resolution condemning the University’s handling of the “wanted” posters incident.
“we need to have more concrete (definitions). What is a demonstration? What is a protest, what is a vigil?” Tahboub says. None of these terms is defined in the UR Demonstrations, Vigils, and Peaceful Protests Policy. During the die-in, based on the rules laid out in the policy, students believed their behavior was within its bounds. The administration disagreed, and this resulted in the punishment of the students who participated. Violation of the policy has been used repeatedly to justify the targeting of students by the UR disciplinary apparatus. This targeting thins the ranks of the movement, as students are banned from campus, suspended, and expelled.
Dariel Guerra, a recently elected student senator and active pro-Palestine student organizer, sits for a portrait in his on-campus apartment on March 1, 2025, in Rochester, NY. Guerra was evicted from this apartment on April 6, 2025, after he received an interim ban from the University of Rochester.
Guerra was impacted by the Demonstrations, Vigils, and Peaceful Protests Policy following an accusation that he had led an unregistered protest. He received an interim ban letter from Assistant Dean of Students Kyle Orton on April 6, 2025. The ban required that Guerra vacate his on-campus apartment within two hours of receiving the letter. Guerra denies that he led the protest in question.
It is difficult for Tahboub to see the loss of support the movement has undergone, and she is uncertain about what the future might bring.
It is difficult for Tahboub to see the loss of support the movement has undergone, and she is uncertain about what the future might bring.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza was estimated at over 35,000 when the encampment was destroyed. One year later, it has climbed to an estimated 55,000. Gazans, desperate for food and medicine, contend with limited humanitarian aid, repeated forced displacement, and indiscriminate Israeli fire. Donald Trump has proposed a permanent mass forced displacement of Gazans to neighboring countries, and in the United States, has made suppression of pro-Palestinian student speech a priority.
Despite the potential consequences she may face for her activism, Tahboub remains committed to advocacy for the Palestinian cause. “At the end of the day,” she says, “I'm fighting for my people, and whatever happens will happen. I'm not going to stop no matter what.”
Despite the potential consequences she may face for her activism, Tahboub remains committed to advocacy for the Palestinian cause. “At the end of the day,” she says, “I'm fighting for my people, and whatever happens will happen. I'm not going to stop no matter what.”
Saafa Tahboub
I am endlessly grateful to the many incredible people who shared their stories and placed their trust in me over the past year.
I would also like to thank Jenn Poggi, Josh Meltzer, Tamir Kalifa, Mustafa Hussain, and Meredith Davenport for their support during this storytelling process.
Sources I referenced in this writing can be found here.