The UTD chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine held a press conference to demand the end of financial connections between the university and the State of Israel Oct. 7, two years after the start of the Israeli-Palestinian war.
Held in Chess Plaza like the May 1, 2024 pro-Palestine student encampment that resulted in 21 arrests, the press conference largely reiterated SJP’s previous calls for UTD to divest from Israel. Following the event, students conducted a sit-in within the JSOM lobby. Both the conference and sit-in were part of SJP’s broader “Divestment Week.”
The group’s media liaison and UTD sophomore Aysha Ahmed introduced three other speakers, who expressed their concerns with the university’s close ties to Israel. Speakers focused on UTD’s investment in weapons manufacturers, mentoring of military leaders during capstone projects and promotion of contractors during career fairs.
“For us, this is not distant or abstract, it is our families that have been bombed and starved,” UTD junior and speaker Ahmed said. “For the 70 family members I have lost, when we say ‘genocide,’ it is not an empty word. We speak today because their voices were silenced.”
On Friday, Oct. 10, a cease-fire and hostage release began in Gaza. Since the current cease-fire went into effect, officials in Gaza have reported that Israel has violated the cease-fire over 40 times and killed at least 36 Palestinians. A similar cease-fire arrangement was scheduled in March 2025 but ultimately ended with a continuation of the conflict. For much of the conference, SJP activists took aim at the broader systems that initiated the conflict.
“Gaza is not just the place,” UTD senior and speaker Ali said. “It is the frontline of a system that is built on profit. It is the outcome of an economy that thrives on war. This university is part of that economy.”
Fifty-two students were present at the press conference as speeches began, a notably lower turnout and quieter audience compared to SJP’s events last year. Students in attendance, who requested anonymity, said the causes of this could include statewide or university actions against student expression. Texas Senate Bill 2972 ushered in severe speech restrictions, including the prohibition of sound-amplifying devices during class hours, in September this year. At UTD, 14 students have been indicted and another was barred from attending graduation because of their pro-Palestine protest action, leaving some activists to favor silence over protesting. A student in attendance at the event wearing a mask spoke to The Retrograde on condition of anonymity.
“I think people are wearing masks for many personal reasons,” the student said. “Some do it because they want to be safe from sickness, but I felt it would be safe given the whole government situation right now.”
No law enforcement personnel were visibly present for either the conference or sit-in. Members of university administration, including Vice President Rafael Martin and Dean of Students Amanda Smith, watched the conference from the second floor of SSB.
UTD’s handling of past Palestine-related protests have drawn city-wide attention. Apart from two news crews and student journalists from The Retrograde, a small group of off-campus individuals also attended the conference. Alex Ramirez, a member of the DFW Anti-War Committee, has attended several similar events around the Dallas area.
“I’m from Fort Worth but happen to be in town for work today,” Ramirez said. “Luckily, I can be here for the SJP and then join some other protests tonight.”
The ensuing sit-in, which some SJP marketing materials called a “study-in,” involved students adding pro-Palestine papers to the backs of their computers and studying in the JSOM lobby. No faculty or staff member engaged with the activists during the study-in, with many choosing to walk outside rather than near SJP’s signs. The Retrograde counted 17 students who entered JSOM for the study-in.
As the conclusion to its “Divestment Week,” SJP and the Muslim Student Association held a Charity Banquet. As of publication, SJP said they had raised $6,346 as part of the charity fundraiser.
“It is every contract, every internship, every capstone that makes UTD complicit,” speaker Yasmin Hassan said during the conference. “Complicity in a war crime is a war crime. We know that this is not complicated. They’re not asking for pity: they’re asking for life.”
