Across Ohio, students are gaining momentum in the movement to end the ongoing genocide of Palestinians at the hands of extremist Israeli powers. This comes as part of a wider wave of direct action on college campuses nationally as young people call for change.

Fresh off the tails of a student die-in at Case Western Reserve University on April 19th and the Ohio State University’s violent mass arrest of peaceful student protesters on April 25th, Ohio students are escalating action across the state as universities refuse to meet their demands for divestment and acknowledgement of the ongoing genocide. 

The following direct actions are set to take place this week across Ohio’s campuses, as students continue in the fight for an end to genocide.

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY (Kent)

Saturday, May 4 marks the 54th anniversary of the National Guard’s deployment to Kent State University to end campus anti-war protests, slaughtering four college students and injuring nine others. 

Kent State students are commemorating the legacy of activists killed in 1970 with a new generation of anti-war protests, calling for Kent State’s divestment from the genocide of Palestinians, demanding that the University take the moral stance against genocide. 

Student teach-ins are taking place from Monday-Thursday all week this week with “All out for May 4!” at 12:00PM on Saturday at KSU Commons to honor the martyrs of May 4th and demand justice for Palestine. 

Read a recent public statement from Kent State student organizers here.

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY (Cleveland)

Case Western Reserve University students are currently holding an encampment in the oval in front of Kelvin Smith Library. 

On April 29th, 20 peaceful protesters were detained and subsequently released from police custody, with officers taking down tents that had been erected. The university backed down from the 8pm protest curfew it announced on Monday and allowed students to camp on the oval, but not community members. On Tuesday night students and community members remained on the oval in protest, renaming it Hind’s Oval. Read more from students here and a recent update from students here.

MIAMI UNIVERSITY (Oxford)

Miami students have planned a march for 6:00PM on Thursday, May 2 at the Freedom Summer memorial on Western Campus, where students in 1964 gathered to train before riding to the South to fight for the liberation of Black voters. 

Read more from Miami students here.

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY (Columbus)

OSU students are gathered May 1 at 6:00PM at OSU’s South Oval to continue to demand their university divest from genocide. 

Students at the Ohio State University continue to act for Palestine, even after a violent police response, including the university’s confirmed positioning of snipers aiming at peaceful student protesters. 

Read more from OSU students here.

OBERLIN COLLEGE (Oberlin) 

Oberlin students have (de)occupied Wilder Bowl on campus until their college recognizes and condemns the ongoing genocide in Palestine. 

Read more from Oberlin students here.

DENISON UNIVERSITY (Granville) 

Denison students held a protest Monday, April 29th calling for divestment. 

Read more from Denison students here.

Students from diverse student organizations, majors, and backgrounds are coming together in a tremendous and inspiring display of solidarity on campuses across Ohio, the country, and the world, collectively raising our voices to call for justice, peace, and freedom for Palestine. 

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The Ohio Student Association is a statewide grassroots organization anchored by student-led chapters on college campuses across Ohio that organize issue campaigns to fight for racial, economic, and educational justice.

Twitter: @OhioStudents • Instagram: @OhioStudents
Website: ohiostudentassociation.org