Students, faculty, and community members held a walkout in support of Palestinian liberation and against student suppression on Monday. The walkout was held in response to 12 Emerson students being arrested outside the Cutler Majestic Theatre during President Jay M. Bernhardt’s inauguration. 

“We have not and will not waiver from the administration’s tactics to silence, dismiss, or make light of this movement,” Emerson Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) said in an Instagram post. “We urge you all to take a stand.”

The walkout, which was promoted on Instagram, started around 1:25 p.m., with hundreds of participants gathering in the 2 Boylston alley. Chants included “All Bern, No Hardt,” “Bye, Bye, ECPD,” and “Viva, Viva, Palestina.”

A speaker noted that one purpose of the walkout was to organize in solidarity against the “racial targeting of students.” Out of the 13 students arrested on Friday, 12 are affiliated with Emerson, and 11 were Black and brown students.

“Everyone stands in solidarity, right?” the first speaker asked the crowd. “Everyone was outraged on Friday as students were arrested for free speech and expression, right?”

A 110-second moment of silence was observed for all the lives lost in Palestine. Thereafter, speakers urged participants to turn their solidarity into collective action. 

“Let us be unified in our grief,” a speaker said. 

“I urge you to turn your solidarity into action,” another speaker encouraged. They emphasized that students should continue attending rallies and other solidarity events to be more present advocates on campus. 

Other speakers noted that “the people united will never be defeated,” and that the current situation will only improve through “people power.” 

A substantial announcement at the walkout was the formation of the group “Jewish Students for Justice in Palestine,” which held its first meeting on  Wednesday, March 27. 

According to a post on the Emerson SJP’s Instagram page, agenda items at the meeting included discussing the history of Jewish anti-Zionism, defining goals and strategies for upcoming solidarity efforts, and brainstorming how to connect with other pro-Palestinian Jewish members of the Emerson community.