On Oct. 15, Fresno City College’s MEChA club and the Social Justice Center presented a public forum on Palestine in collaboration with activism group Raza Against War (RAW). Local pro-Palestine activists presented their views on the ongoing genocide in Palestine in a panel moderated by history professor, Paul Gilmore. 

RAW’s co-chair Stan Santos explained the meaning behind the organization’s name. “Raza is a universal word. It just means ‘the people.’ A lot of people think it just refers to Mexican people but we really refer to everybody,” he said. 

“We see [the situation in Palestine] as a genocide in every sense of the word, [Israel] an apartheid state in every sense of the word. That’s why this is such an important issue,” Santos said.

RAW was asked to participate in the event by MEChA for their efforts to influence local politicians and legislation. They have tried in vain to get in front of the Fresno City Council and get them to support a ceasefire. They have also attempted to meet with Rep. Jim Costa, who has yet to fully collaborate with them. 

RAW also protests for the Palestinian cause weekly at the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse on Tulare St. 

“We have been taking the route that some feel is futile but we have to pursue, which is petitioning our congressional representatives and [senators]. We can apply pressure because they have to be in touch with the constituents,” Santos said.

Jordanian-Palestinian educator Zeina Rose also stressed the importance of beginning at the local level.

 “It really comes down to our local representatives. They’re mostly getting funded by AIPAC, so the decisions they make are informed by a [pro-Israel] PAC that’s funding their position in power and encouraging them to make decisions that make it hard to stop sending [tax] money to Israel,” Rose said.

Student led activism has been in the headlines ever since Oct. 7, 2023, as students across the country took strong stances in their support for either Israel or Palestine. Student protestors have clashed with administration nationwide, and the Central Valley is no exception.

Seja Z., a pre-law student and the secretary of Fresno State’s Students for Palestinian Liberation accused CSU campuses of “attempting to silence student voices” by restricting times and places where protests could be staged. 

“The thing Palestinians want the most is for people to stand up and say something, to show the government we are against what’s going on in Gaza,” Seja said. But as all the panelists agreed, the genocide won’t end with a single ceasefire.

“A ceasefire means we’re gonna stop shooting for a while but then we’re gonna start it up again,” Gilmore said. 

According to Italia Mendoza, vice president of FCC’s MEChA, the club was inspired to organize the panel because they felt Palestine wasn’t being discussed enough at FCC. 

“Compared to other campuses – bigger university campuses – they’re having encampments or protests … we at least wanted to do [the panel],” Mendoza said. “Our vision for this semester was to get more involved in activist spaces.”

Mendoza believes that all students should be eager to learn about what the Palestinian people are facing. “Just because it’s happening overseas, doesn’t mean there’s a disconnect,” she said. “How can we just idly sit by while our brothers and sisters are being killed? [We have] a sense of connection to them.”