On Nov. 19, Fresno City College joined the list of college campuses where students have led pro-Palestine protests against the genocide in Gaza, Palestine.
The protest started at 10 a.m. and ran for several hours into the afternoon. The group held signs and several wore keffiyehs while marching back and forth between Veteran’s Square and the large fountain at University Mall.
Chants rung around the campus advocating for Palestine. The phrase “From the River to the Sea” was commonly used alongside condemnations of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.
“As a student, I have a right to protest as long as I’m not disturbing the public, blocking paths or destroying property,” Dante, the lead organizer who is a part-time student at FCC and who chose to identify by first name, said.
They said the effort was done with the collaboration and encouragement of several friends to design flyers and reach out to allies on campus. Dante also reached out to local pro-Palestine organizations including Raza Against War, Students for Palestinian Liberation at Fresno State and Fresno For Palestine.
Two staff members from the school attended in support of the protest, briefly. They had told protestors of the impact that the history of murder of Palestinians had left on students and professors, according to Treasurer of the FCC M.E.Ch.A club, Arion Grajeda.
“They were lamenting about how they find it strange that after all this time, there are still so many people that are apathetic to the plight of Palestinians,” he said.
Dante noted the protest was happening a day before the U.S. Senate vote on a series of bills, known as Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs), put forth by Senator Bernie Sanders to block $20 billion worth in military weaponry to Israel.
“The U.S. is Israel’s number one supporter. They send bombs, arms and everything to them. It just needs to stop,” they said.
Three of the six JRDs bills relating to Israel have been rejected by the Senate as of Nov. 20 at 8:17 p.m.
Dante said protesting in Fresno and FCC was important to allow for the community to show care and feelings towards the situation in Palestine.
“We care about the children of Palestine. Children are born, not to burn,” they said.
A July 2024 report by The Lancet medical journal estimated the death toll in Gaza to exceed 186,000 people as a result of the genocide, with considering factors aside from direct violence such as shortages in basic needs.
“There’s almost no clean water. Children are hungry. Israel is refusing to let humanitarian aid trucks in [to Gaza] and it’s horrifying,” Dante said.
A local organizer and activist, who chose to go by the name Rua, said Fresno contributes roughly $6 million in annual taxes to Israel.
“That’s coming out of our pockets. That’s funding the genocide of men, women and children,” Rua said. “The issue of the genocide is an American issue.”
Brianna Gonzales, a freshman at FCC, said learning about Palestine made her interested in action work such as the student-led protest.
“We’ve seen time and time again, like the Holocaust; what a genocide is. For America to not label this [situation in Palestine] as a genocide is absolutely crazy,” Gonzales said.
She also said that regardless of the distance, what affects Palestinians affects people in the U.S.
“You have to at least think about them or have some sort of empathy towards them,” she said. “What if this was your family being killed?”
Several protestors emphasized the wish for people to self-educate and take urgency about Palestine.
Dante stated that Palestine had been under occupation for decades prior to the escalation of violence after Oct. 7, 2023. They said it was important to self-educate to challenge misconceptions.
Rua hoped for other students to be encouraged by the protest at FCC. They said there should be larger marches of pro-Palestine groups as well as taking up demands for Palestinian liberation to government officials until they are met.
“I hope they [students] take courage. Enough courage to join us, to get on the streets themselves and for liberation of all oppressed peoples across the globe,” Rua said.
Dante noted that people had come up to them asking questions and wanting to learn more. Gonzales recalled some talking about the protest as they were walking by and sharing information.
The remaining group of student protestors gathered at the large fountain and collectively agreed to the positive effects made by the protest.
“Small steps towards a better world is way better than no steps at all,” Gonzales said.
Dante said there would be future actions to gather students together including sit-ins and protests at FCC in the future.
