Just a few feet separated the competing demonstrations on Marsh Plaza, but for the rival groups that crowded in the shadow of the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial statute, their differing messages of peace and human rights might as well have been a world apart.
Hundreds of Boston University students, representing either BU Students for Israel or Students for Justice in Palestine, chanted and waved flags in the cold wind for more than two hours Thursday afternoon.
The rallies, though peaceful, were often tense, with members of both groups pausing at some points to debate the opposition right on the brick sidewalk adjacent to the plaza.
BU Police Department officers stood on the curb of Commonwealth Avenue just in front of the rallies, interrupting every so often to intervene in debates that got too testy.
Students representing SJP held up large pieces of gray Styrofoam, which members said represented the “apartheid wall” bordering Palestinian occupied territory.
Text scrawled on the walls had slogans such as “tear down the wall, free Gaza” and “we want justice, we want peace in Gaza.”
Second-year College of Arts and Sciences Ph.D student and SJP member Ian Chinich said the group was looking to draw student attention to the conflict between Israel and Palestine as part of Israel Apartheid Week.
“We just want people to know and to understand,” Chinich said. “Most Americans never have to experience living under occupation.”
Meanwhile, members and supporters of BUSI gathered further back in Marsh Plaza, holding Israeli flags, singing songs such as “One Day” by musician Matisyahu and having a moment of silence for peace in Israel.
College of Arts and Sciences junior and President of BUSI Rachelle Rubin addressed about 100 BUSI supporters, stressing the importance of peaceful and respectful demonstration.
“Today we gather respectfully here at BU to promote the virtues of truth and tolerance,” Rubin said. “Sadly these values have been overlooked in the past. We are asking to put aside these hostilities.”
Before the rallies officially began at about 2 p.m., BUPD officers were heard asking members of SJP to move further back into Marsh Plaza, so as not to obstruct pedestrians travelling down the sidewalk. SJP complied, and the rally went on peacefully.
Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, who attended the rallies, said he was impressed with the way that the two student groups were able to conduct their respective gatherings with respect for one another’s causes.
“Thank God that students are engaged on issues that they find important to themselves,” Elmore said “I love the fact that there’s a little bit of civic engagement going on.”
CAS junior and Vice President of Hillel House Meggie Wyschogrod said she was pleased with the civility with which the two groups were able to hold their rallies in such close proximity.
“SJP is being very respectful today which we haven’t experienced in the past,” Wyschogrod said. “If it could be like this every day I would be ecstatic.”
Chinich, however, said that while SJP and BUSI were able to share the forum of Marsh Plaza for their rallies, he had received complaints from members of BUSI earlier in the week concerning SJP’s representation of the “apartheid wall.”
“They’re embarrassed about our wall because the real wall is an embarrassment,” Chinich said. “If they’re so concerned about the image of the wall, they should tear the wall down.”
While addressing the crowd of BUSI supporters, Rubin agreed with Chinich that while the two student groups were able to respectfully co-host their rallies, she still felt some contention with SJP.
“We are being demonized for supporting the right of a democratic Jewish state,” she said.
Chinich said that while the BUSI rally had an impressive turnout, he felt that the group’s rally was not an accurate representation of the Jewish community at BU.
“We find that [BUSI] does not represent the broader Jewish community at BU,” Chinich said. “We’re here to talk to the BU students who are Jewish who aren’t necessarily pro-Israeli.”
Some attendees said they came to show their support for the discourse taking place between similar groups on college campuses across the country.
Margot Einstein, of Newton, said she believes it is “crucial to spread awareness” and support for Israel.
“All across America is this Israel Apartheid Week,” she said. “Israel is not an apartheid state.”
Crowds began to disperse at about 4 p.m. as the rallies wound down.
Elmore said that he hopes to see similar rallies taking place in the same peaceful nature at BU in the future.
“What’s wonderful here is I don’t see anybody being violent, I don’t see any vandalism, I don’t see anyone doing harm to anyone,” Elmore said. “This is good old fashioned democracy.”