Hundreds of Texas A&M students protested the Israel-Hamas war and assembled in Academic Plaza, demanding A&M divest funds and denounce supporting organizations benefitting from Israeli occupation.

Planned from 12-8 p.m. on April 29, the protest was organized by Aggies Against Apartheid. The coalition was recently formed and alerted the university administration over a week in advance to ensure compliance, according to event organizer computer engineering junior Akkad Ajam. Within hours of the demonstration beginning, Ajam said about 150 students joined, and near the end, the group had more than doubled. 

Protest organizers declined to interview with local media but distributed written statements before the beginning. Aggies Against Apartheid called for A&M divestment from AXA EUR, Chevron Texaco Corp, Caterpillar Inc, HP Inc, Siemens AG, and more, sharing more information via its Instagram.

The A&M campus protest is among many college campus protests nationwide calling for divestment. Organizers voiced support for those recently arrested while protesting at the University of Texas on April 24, which resulted in 57 arrests and more from subsequent protests. 

“We affirm our solidarity and steadfast support to the people of Gaza and to our brothers and sisters at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as to each and every student being silenced by institutional power across the nation,” the statement from Aggies Against Apartheid read.

At 1:07 p.m., protestors began chanting as they marched for a silent protest. The group looped around Evan’s library before returning to the Academic Plaza.

After their return to the plaza, multiple witnesses said the demonstration was peaceful yet effective. Administration on site confirmed coalition leadership had worked with A&M to ensure the protest did not violently escalate. 

Multiple high-ranking administrators observed the demonstration during the afternoon, such as A&M President Mark Welsh and Vice President of Student Affairs Joe E. Ramirez. In the morning, Ramirez sent a campus-wide email urging students to demonstrate Aggie values while voicing their opinions.

“Since last fall, I’ve watched as our students exercised their right to voice concerns through peaceful expressive activities on campus, and did so consistently exemplifying integrity, respect and all the other values held dear by Texas Aggies,” Ramirez’s email read. “… While we acknowledge the gravity of recent global events, we continue to urge all members of our Aggie community to continue to engage in constructive dialogue while upholding Texas A&M’s values of respect, leadership and integrity during this challenging period.”

From 2 p.m., the group intermittently hosted lessons through the afternoon to educate protestors and concluded before 7 p.m. Lessons included the “history of the colonization of Palestine,” “Israeli apartheid and war crimes” and “US-Israeli relations.”

The group marched a final lap around Evans Library and Military Walk shortly after 7:15 p.m. Organizers led chants as protesters followed with pro-Palestinian signage.

Following the final march, Ajam said organizers were proud of the amount of positive communication and discussions as a result of the protest.

“I think it really shows how not only we have a love of life and a love of humanity, but a love for each other as Aggies as people that care, have humanitarian or moral and ethical obligations to speak on this and fight back against this,” Ajam said.

Ajam said A&M has been very compliant as the protesters pushed to demonstrate their 1st Amendment rights. 

“We are vocal about it, and they’re advocating for our freedom of speech,” Ajam said. “We’re gonna continue advocating for the freedom of speech as far as we’re willing to take it.”

On Monday evening, Kelly Brown, associate vice president of A&M Marketing and Communications, released a statement on behalf of the university.

“As a public institution of higher learning, Texas A&M is committed to creating an environment conducive to the free exchange of ideas and opinions,” the statement reads. “Texas A&M’s rules on expressive activity — including protests and demonstrations — outline how the university will protect the rights of freedom of speech, expression, petition and peaceful assembly as set forth in the U.S. Constitution and Texas state law.”

Brown said groups organizing expressive activities must apply and reserve a space for its event, and A&M cannot tolerate events that disrupt normal operations, such as classes.

“We provide various locations for expression, including Academic Plaza, which is where Monday’s protest was held,” Brown wrote. “… Fortunately, the five demonstrations since October have all been peaceful and without incident.”

The event concluded after 8 p.m. when organizers led a group prayer and vigil.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on the evening of April 29 to include further developments and coverage from the event.

This story was originally published on The Battalion on April 29, 2024.