More than 300,000 protestors, including multiple WashU students, marched through Washington D.C.’s Freedom Square on Jan. 13, marking almost 100 days since the Israel-Hamas war began.

The event was organized and led by the American Muslim Task Force for Palestine, a group with the mission “of educating the public about Palestine’s rights of self-determination and justice.” It called for a “permanent cease-fire in Gaza, an end to U.S. funding for the Israeli military, and for Israel to be held accountable for war crimes and violations of international law.” 

One Sophomore attendee who chose to remain anonymous citing safety concerns, attended the protest to advocate for a ceasefire. She acknowledged and mourned the 136 Israeli hostages still in Gaza, more than 1,200 Israeli deaths, and Palestinian deaths, which surpass 26,000 as of Jan. 26, including more than 10,000 children. 

“I am not Palestinian or Israeli, but as an individual who believes all civilians, especially children, have a right to life, I condemn the U.S. government using my tax dollars to fund the 25,000 casualties and current genocide of Palestinians,” the student said.

Junior Aisha Adedayo, who also attended the protest, expressed her frustration that this is the “first genocide being filmed and posted” on social media, but despite the exposure on social media, there has been “little global action.” 

“Thousands are killed every day, and we are watching the news and social media and are like ‘Oh, wow, that sucks for these people,’ like it’s a Netflix show,” said Adedayo. “But how painful would it be for us to experience a genocide like that and the whole world doesn’t care about us?”

According to Adedayo, the “most powerful thing average citizens can do” is boycott companies that profit from sales of weaponry, technology, and information fueling the Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank or that are invested in illegal settlements of Palestinian territories. “Our power is in our money,” Adedayo said. 

She emphasized not falling to “boycott fatigue”: getting tired of boycotting things that used to be everyday staples.

“I’m not saying you can’t live your normal life,” Adedayo said, “but that living your normal life is a major privilege that the Palestinians don’t have, as they are being murdered daily.”

For Rabbi Jordan Gerson from WashU Hillel, students’ rights to free speech and expression is something he supports, but he finds some slogans in pro-Palestine protests “highly problematic,” such as “Long live the intifada” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” 

“To free Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea leaves no place for Israel,” Gerson said. “Statements like these don’t leave a whole lot of space for thoughtful dialogue on campus and only fuel tension.”

This slogan has sparked controversy nationwide and has been labeled as antisemitic. Adedayo says that “antisemitic rhetoric was not spread” at the protest in Washington D.C. and that these slogans were not used there.

“Israel has a moral imperative to defend itself against an enemy that has sworn to strike again with the same cruelty as before,” Rabbi Gerson said. “The most recent calls for a cease-fire from the U.N. also demand the surrender of Hamas and the return of all hostages. This is exactly what Israel has stated as its objective in this current military operation.”

Israel recently rejected a cease-fire proposed by Hamas, which called for Israeli forces to leave Gaza in return for the release of Israeli hostages. Families of the hostages stormed the Israeli Knesset on Jan. 22, protesting the fact that Israel’s objective of eradicating Hamas is being prioritized over the safety and release of their relatives.

“I think that while a lot of civilian deaths are due to Hamas’ intentional placement of rockets, weapons, and tunnels, a lot of civilian deaths are due to Israel’s handling of the war, and for that reason, I think it was good that protestors advocated for a cease-fire and release of hostages,” first-year Coby Rinke said. “Also, while horrible and tragic, I don’t believe this war constitutes a genocide.”

Rinke emphasizes that these are just his opinions and that other Jewish people may agree or disagree. The International Court of Justice’s interim ruling on Jan. 26 ordered Israel to stop genocidal acts in Gaza, but didn’t demand a ceasefire. First-year Muslim student Aamna Amjed believes that a ceasefire is necessary.

“Despite the tragic circumstances, I still hold hope that there can be peace and that hostages from both sides can be released and return to their homes,” Amjed said. “I think [the protest] adds needed pressure on the U.S. government to recognize the genocide and call for a cease-fire and a two-state solution.”

This article was updated on Feb. 1 to make once source anonymous citing safety concerns.