Revolutionary Student Organization holds protest on third anniversary of Oct. 7
Several individuals recorded protesters and goaded them to remove face coverings
By RIVERS STOUT & MICHELLE BEKHTEL— campus@theaggie.org
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, around 45 protesters gathered at the Quad on the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that led to the ongoing genocide in Palestine. The protest was organized by the Revolutionary Student Organization (RSO), a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist student organization on campus.
While RSO acknowledged the importance of the ongoing genocide, the demonstration’s primary function was to commemorate the Oct. 7 attack and the struggle of Palestinians fighting Israeli forces, according to an RSO organizer who requested to remain anonymous.
“[RSO’s] protest is meant to [be a] commemoration in honor of the Palestinian resistance and the escalated resistance,” the RSO organizer said. “It’s been three years since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. For us this marked a great monumental shift of the global anti-imperialist struggle, and we wanted to highlight this and the continued Palestinian resistance.”
Conflict arose almost as soon as protestors congregated and began speaking at noon. One onlooker called protesters smelly, and others sang over them. Another onlooker who followed the RSO protestors for the majority of their demonstration made a series of noises in an attempt to disrupt the protest. Others recorded protesters and yelled at those wearing face coverings, demanding that they remove them. One individual entered the ring of protesters and unsuccessfully attempted to wrangle a sign from someone.
Former UC Davis employee and Yolo County Moms for Liberty chairperson Beth Bourne also made an appearance, making transphobic statements while recording video footage on her phone. Some protestors attempted to block her phone camera with picket signs.
Protest signs varied from “Victory to the resistance of the Venezuelan people ¡Yanqui Fuera!” to “We have nothing to lose but our chains” and "Intifada Revolution.” Some chants repeated by protestors included: “There is only one solution, Intifada revolution,” “Students for the working class, revolution long at last” and “Palestine/Hamas/Lebanon we love you, we support your rockets too,” though the crowd was noticeably less vocal in their support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Members of the university’s administration frequently attempted to direct the group, stating that the Memorial Union (MU) patio had been reserved. Additionally, some protesters were informed that university officials may request their identities as well as other information, should they breach the university’s Time, Place and Manner rules around protesting and free speech.
After multiple attempts by university officials to direct protesters with little success, and with escalating tensions between protesters and counter-protesters, a line of 15 police officers — several more than there had been at noon — came and divided the patio. On one side was a booth set up by the Jewish Culture, Heritage and Identity Faculty and Staff Association at UC Davis with their own memorial recognizing the day. On the other side stood the RSO protestors, slowly directed by officers to move a few feet away from the booth and toward the Quad lawn.
“Stop resisting, you are resisting,” one officer said as they began to push some protestors.
At around 12:25 p.m., the RSO protest began marching around campus. They went from the MU to the Silo, often marching in the bikeway. Few counter-protestors followed the group as they made their way through campus.
Whether through signage or chants, protesters often praised members of the Axis of Resistance, a loose, Iran-backed coalition of state and near-state powers who target Israeli, Saudi, American and allied interests in West and Central Asia.
“We support the Axis of Resistance because of its progressive character of combatting U.S. imperialism,” the RSO organizer said. “We know that the U.S. is the enemy of all oppressed peoples; the Axis of Resistance, in its ability to combat U.S. imperialism, is a monumental feat because it is also aiding oppressed peoples globally.”
However, not all protesters gathered for the same reasons. Some were more focused on the suffering of Palestinians following the Oct. 7 attack.
“I’m here today because I oppose the genocide in Israel,” one UC Davis student who remained anonymous said. “It aligns with my Jewish values to stand up for the liberation of all people. So I’m here standing up for the liberation of all people, [that] being the Palestinians.”
After spending some time outside the Silo, protestors continued to the Student Community Center and the lawn outside of Wellman Hall, disbanding shortly after 1 p.m.
Written by: Rivers Stout & Michelle Bekhtel— campus@theaggie.org