Columbia U. pro-Palestinian students hold ‘anti-Veteran Day’, protesting ‘Israel-US war machine’
Some veteran students protested the event, planting American flags before the event was due to take place.
While many Americans honor US military servicemen on Veteran’s Day, November 11, some students at Columbia University have declared they “reclaimed” it for “martyrs” killed by the “Israel-US war machine,” the group responsible and American media reported on Sunday.
“We stand here to honor all our martyrs. Those who resisted, whether violently or non-violently.” — masked students @Columbia protesting against Veterans Day on campus. Really really sad, reprehensible behavior. pic.twitter.com/r2Ugybyztc
— Elisha (Lishi) Baker (@LishiBaker) November 11, 2024
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, an unsanctioned student group, hosted “Martyr’s Day’ in opposition to the day usually dedicated to servicemen, according to flyers for the event. The same group erected a “liberation sukkah for Palestine,” according to their Instagram.
“Veterans Day is an American holiday to honor the patriotism, love of country, and sacrifice of veterans. We reject this holiday and refuse to celebrate it,” a flyer for the group’s event read.
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“The American war machine should not be honored for the horrors unleashed on others,” the flyer added. “Instead, we will celebrate Martyrs Day in honor of those martyred by the Israel-US war machine. A day to honor the patriotism, love of country, and sacrifice of those martyrs.”
The group added on Instagram, “We are reclaiming Veterans Day for our martyrs as we refuse to honor the US War Machine. Come read a martyr’s story and plant a poppy in their memory. When the Zionist entity is working to destroy a people, to remember is to resist.
We must center the people who we are fighting for and remember what we are pushing for divestment at Columbia and the total liberation of Palestinians. Columbia is complicit in the deaths of these martyrs through the endeavors it has invested its endowment in. Come learn, grieve, and be pushed to action.
“In the face of genocide, it is easy to move with urgency, but we must make sure to be intentional in our organizing. Join us as we center the very real and full lives of Palestinians (and others) being sieged and killed by the Zionist entity.”
Opposing the event
Student veterans and supporters placed American flags in protest of the event, according to the New York Post.
“Columbia is proud of our students, faculty, and staff who are veterans, and we are grateful for their service and sacrifice and the invaluable contributions they offer to our community,” a campus spokesperson told The New York Post. “The University honors its veterans on Veterans Day and every day, and we are proud to be participating in the New York Veterans Day Parade tomorrow, as we have for more than a decade.”
“We are aware that a small group has called for a demonstration tomorrow, and our public safety team is monitoring for any disruptions to campus activity. As always, we are committed to preserving our core mission to teach, create, and advance knowledge,” the spokesperson added before the event.
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