Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a memorial event where members wrote the names of the more than 41,000 people killed in Gaza this past year since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“It’s been a year of genocide, a year of carnage and all the destruction that’s happened since then,” said Noora, Vice President of BU SJP, who requested The Daily Free Press use only her first name to protect her personal safety. “We essentially don’t want the names or these people to die in vain. We want them to be remembered and uplifted.”
Oct. 7 marks the first anniversary of when the militant group and United States-designated terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel in an assault that killed approximately 1,200 people, according to Reuters.
From noon to 7 p.m., BU SJP wrote the names of those killed by Israel’s military operations within the past year. After writing the names, there was a community vigil at 8 p.m. on BU Beach. The banner with the handwritten names was placed below Palestinian flags and lined with candles.
“This is about spreading the awareness of what should not happen in the first place,” freshman Muhamad Arman said. “We have to acknowledge that what happened is a really big war.”
Arman said he attended the memorial to show support for all those affected by the conflict, both Palestinian and Israeli, who did not deserve to be victims in the first place.
“The name that we have written here is actually a person just like us,” Arman said. “They deserve to be alive.”
Noora said it’s important for members of BU SJP to remember why they are protesting and holding memorials like the one on Oct. 7.
“The reason why we are doing it, ultimately, at the end of the day, is because innocent children and people are being murdered in Gaza,” Noora said. “The sheer amount of death, in the beginning, is what has moved us.”
Attending events like the memorial has helped students feel supported, said Raya, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, who requested The Daily Free Press use only her first name to protect her personal safety.
“I think it’s really important to have the ability to peacefully assemble, especially during a time like this and especially after a year of genocide,” Raya said.
Raya said having the vigil was important, considering the recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
“I know this causes a lot of mental challenges, especially because there have been more bombings in Lebanon, and there’s a lot of Lebanese students here at BU,” Raya said.
Senior Abdul Nur and sophomore Ilias Zaher attended the vigil to show support for their “Palestinian brothers and sisters,” Zaher said.
“This is literally the least we can do, really, to support our people out there,” Zaher added.
Nur said that, as a Muslim, he empathizes with those who are suffering in Gaza.
“I think we all saw the Israeli demonstration earlier in the plaza,” Nur said. “I don’t want people to think it’s a Muslim versus a Jewish issue. It’s a human-to-human thing.”
BU SJP will continue to write names at Marsh Plaza through Friday and plans to hold a rally for Palestine on Friday.
“I would like to see SJP hosting more events and [for] the student population to not be afraid to express themselves,” Raya said. “We live in a country where that is encouraged, individualism and freedom of speech and to just respect one another.”
Despite not having a personal connection to the conflict, Nur said coming to the memorial was an opportunity to bring awareness to the lives lost in the past year.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s just heartbreaking to see what’s happening,” Nur said. “It’s something that everyone should hold close to their hearts.”
