Editor’s note: Some people mentioned in the story requested their last names be omitted.
Protesters marched through downtown Lexington, calling for justice as part of a statewide protest supporting Palestine’s independence and human rights.
Organized by various coalitions across Kentucky, including Lex4Palestine and the University of Kentucky Young Democratic Socialists of America, over 100 protesters rallied on Saturday, March 22, at the Fayette County District Court for the “Rally for Human Rights.”
While marching, protesters chanted phrases such as, “From Kentucky to Palestine, occupation is a crime” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
UK’s Students for Justice in Palestine President Logan Robertson said they created the protest to advocate against the violation of human rights after a series of race-based injustices nationwide and injustices to fight “the 1% of white supremacists.”
Robertson said he has spoken across the state advocating for Palestinian freedom and against the U.S. Department of Education’s attempts to silence and criminalize protesters.
“I went to Kentucky’s capital to speak against SJR (Senate Joint Resolution) 55 two weeks ago and was called, along with anyone wearing a keffiyeh like many of us here today, a terrorist,” Robertson said.
According to the Kentucky General Assembly, SJR 55 is a state-wide resolution directing Kentucky’s “public post-secondary institutions to combat antisemitism.”
“We must use our voices to speak out,” Robertson said. “Not only against the Palestinian genocide the American-Israeli military apparatus has been committing but also the injustices that apparatus does to us as Americans.”
UK sophomore Sarah G. spoke from the perspective of detainee Mahmoud Khalil. Sarah said she implored the community to fight back not only for his wrongful imprisonment but for themselves.
“I have always believed that my duty is not only to liberate myself from the oppressor but also to liberate my oppressors from their hatred and fear,” Sarah said.
The imprisonment of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student facing possible deportation for his pro-Palestine activism, was one of the key points at the protest, according to Sarah.
Sarah said Khalil was imprisoned for fighting for what he believed in, saying because he has now been silenced, protests are crucial to beat the “persuasive anti-Palestinian racism.”
According to Sarah, Khalil’s abduction should be a warning for all because his arrest was not caused by a crime he committed, but by his participation in protests regarding Palestinian independence, saying it was a violation of his First Amendment rights, which gives him the right to free speech and assembly.
Khalil’s imprisonment exposes politicians’ “disregard for human life” by highlighting the injustices committed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to citizens like Khalil, Sarah said.
According to Sarah, political movements and protests show society’s power. Therefore, demanding Khalil’s release frees him, calls for the end of human suffering and represents the “Rally for human rights” power.
“Our rally today is not only for Mahmoud’s freedom or for the cessation of bombings,” Sarah said. “It is for the upholding of justice over expediency for the protection of rights, regardless of borders and for humanity that connects us all.”
Another speaker and protest security worker, Mohammed, said he criticized the U.S. government for its “hypocrisy,” saying the government’s words do not match its actions.
“We hear the United States say it exports freedom and democracy,” Mohammed said. “But how can you (the U.S. government) say that when we not only see what you’re doing in Gaza and what you did in Iraq and Afghanistan, you don’t even have freedom and democracy in your own country.”
Mohammed said there have been increased limitations on free speech, mirroring opposing totalitarian governments, yet similar policies have been adopted within the U.S..
“So first you (American citizens) can’t criticize Israel, then you can’t criticize Donald Trump, then you can’t criticize the U.S. government,” Mohammed said. “I’m curious how are you any different than North Korea or Russia or China, or all the countries that America likes to demonize without looking in the mirror.”
According to Mohammed, Americans attempt to distract themselves from issues such as the Palestinian genocide happening overseas through concerts and sports instead of looking at the actions of their government.
Due to the U.S. government’s attacks on the Muslim community, Mohammed said Muslims have had to “sacrifice everything” from their religion to their traditional headwear.
According to Mohammed, the Muslim community has had to learn to be brave despite the governmental attacks and societal ignorance, which influenced Mohammed to join the protest so that he could advocate for his community.
“No matter how many of us they try to imprison, how many of us they try to censor, how much propaganda is out there,” Mohammed said. “You have an obligation to yourself and to your neighbors and your friends to stand for the truth, even if it’s against yourself.”
