U.S. students protest Israeli attacks
Students at 30 universities across the country, including Columbia, Georgetown and the Universities of California, Massachusetts and Washington rallied yesterday under the banner of human rights to protest the Israeli occupation of Palestinian areas. This national "day of action" kicked off a student-led movement petitioning universities to divest themselves of stock from corporations that support Israeli military operations, such as Boeing. At the University of Michigan, a march and demonstration organized by a group called Students Allied for Freedom and Equality attracted a crowd of 200 students and community members including "a mix of Arabs, many Muslim students who weren't Arab, Christian students, Jewish students, American students and a few African-American students," said Amer Zahr, an active member of SAFE. "We are not an organization that is ethnic or religious -- we're an organization of all religions with a simple message of human rights ... What we want to see is peace and justice for all," said Fadi Kiblawi, the organizer of yesterday's demonstration. "The root of terrorism is occupation," Kiblawi said, as he and the members of SAFE advocate the withdrawal of Israeli troops.