PDM Official Statement on the Gaza Encampment at OSU

We, the Palestine Diaspora Movement (PDM), vehemently condemn the violence perpetrated against peaceful demonstrators during the Gaza Encampment at Ohio State University (OSU) on April 25th.

Our protest aimed to expose the financial ties and complicity of OSU with the Israeli occupation, demanding divestment, academic boycotts, and acknowledgment of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Despite exercising our First Amendment rights, OSU's response betrayed its purported values of diversity and freedom, opting instead to deploy state troopers, riot units, and SWAT teams to disperse peaceful protesters forcibly.

The brutality unleashed on protesters was abhorrent. Peaceful demonstrators, including students, faculty, and community members, were beaten, assaulted, and unlawfully detained, including our founder and executive chair, Mohammad Mustafa, who was attacked while praying Salahat Al - Isha. Nearly 50 individuals were detained, with many suffering indignities such as having their hijabs forcibly removed and not returned, religious dietary restrictions denied, and prayer accommodations disregarded, violating their religious freedom and dignity.

OSU's dehumanizing response contradicts its claims to protect its students. We see this as part of a broader pattern of colonial oppression that seeks to silence voices advocating for Palestinian self-determination and resistance against Israeli settler colonialism.

PDM demands immediate action:

🚨 TAKE ACTION! CALL THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - 614-292-9681

  1. Demand amnesty for all detained protesters.

  2. Call the CPD Sheriff's Office to insist on charges being dropped.

  3. Express unwavering support for the Gaza Encampment.

  4. Leave a voicemail if necessary.

PDM stands resolutely against settler colonialism, apartheid, and the oppression of Palestinian rights. We urge all to rise against these injustices and fight for Palestinian liberation.

#FreePalestine #DropTheCharges #ResistColonialism

For more information, visit @sjposu on Instagram.

Freedom, liberation, and return!

Until then, in solidarity,

Palestine Diaspora Movement