Thirteen students wearing masks, some with sunglasses and keffiyehs, a cloth head and face covering worn in many Arab countries, convened in front of the T building, laying out blankets, a Palestinian flag and signs with various slogans.
The keffiyehs worn by students were meant to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, as many wear this kind of head covering to protect themselves from the sun and dust.
When the demonstration began at 9 a.m., one student placed megaphones down in front of the T-building, at first playing the sound of his own breathing while holding a sign with the saying “I can’t breathe, can you?.”
After some time, the sound was switched to a recording of a prayer in Arabic for Palestine over a loudspeaker, attracting the attention of passersby.
Students and some faculty sat with signs showing support for the Palestinian, with slogans like “let Gaza live” and “faculty for justice in Palestine.”
Due to some students’ fears of being attacked by people who do not agree with their stance on the conflict, three organizers attempted to block Viking News reporters from photographing those sitting on blankets or holding signs.
They did so by holding up a large fabric sign, painted with the words “Let Gaza Live” in front of the photographer.
“There are people on this campus who want to hurt us,” said one of the students holding the sign.
Many of the students declined to comment on their reason for attending the demonstration, but those who did speak shared the same sentiment.
According to two of the students at the demonstration, Long Beach City College needs to divest from BlackRock, and they hope this demonstration and other protests will pressure the college to divest from such institutions.
BlackRock is an investment company and one of the biggest asset managers in the U.S. The company works by investing in various corporations on behalf of its clients, boosting their investment portfolio and increasing revenue for the client.
The company has been continuously criticized for its investments in weapons manufacturers such as Sturm, Ruger and Co., as well as being top investors in aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
LBCC is one of various colleges that has investments managed by BlackRock, meaning a portion of LBCC’s funds are put toward investing in the aforementioned companies, all three of which create weapons used by the Israeli Defense Force in combat.
“We are not satisfied with our school’s lack of response to our calls for divestment,” said one protestor who declined to give her name.
The demonstration was scheduled to end at 6 p.m., with students ready to stay in front of the T-building and stocked with snacks and drinks brought by other demonstrators.
Around 11 a.m. that same day, Superintendent President Mike Muñoz sent out an email to students and faculty to discuss “Campus Guidelines for Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly”.
Muñoz explained that LBCC’s “mission (is) to not only allow but also support free speech in our community,” the email followed with “in accordance with Administrative Policy 1005, encampments on campus are not permitted.”
The mention of encampments in particular, despite the demonstration planned to be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. comes after reports of the riot that broke out in a UCLA student encampment on Wednesday morning.
Students remained in front of the T building until 6 p.m., at which point they peacefully disbanded and began cleaning up the altar and blankets set out for the day.