On April 4, Case Western Reserve University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), members of the Cleveland community and CWRU students and faculty participated in a walkout to mark the end of National SJP’s “Week of Rage,” despite federal crackdowns on student protest. These are the events of the walkout:

1. WADE LAGOON 1: “We stand in unwavering solidarities with the 11 individuals recently charged for their peaceful protest. These students spoke against genocide, only to be met with criminal charges. The punishment is not about their actions, it’s about their message. This is not justice, this is suppression. We demand that these charges be dropped immediately. Students should not face prosecution for standing on the right side of history. We will not allow our voices to be silenced … We are not just a group of individuals. We are a movement, a powerful force. United by a shared vision for justice and for freedom. Our voices now are louder than ever, and our presence here is proof of the undeniable strength of collective action.” 

Speaker A at Wade Lagoon. 

1. BELLFLOWER/PBL: “Today, we stand united in the brief of a deep world crisis. The companies in which are institutions invested are complicit in genocide. They fund horrific acts of violence that tear apart communities and manufacture weapons used to kill babies. This is not a distant tragedy. This is a human rights crisis that demands urgent action. We cannot and will not stand by as silent participants.” 

Speaker A at Wade Lagoon. 

1. CORNER OF EUCLID AND FORD: “University officials have pioneered anti-democratic policies like the Freedom of Expression policy that was rolled out in August of last year and the more recent decision to comply with the Trump administration’s executive order to eliminate the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and transform it into the Office of Campus Enrichment and Engagement. We, the CWRU student body, showed these officials that we reject the university’s repression of students’ right to free speech, expression, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.” 

Statement from SJP.

1. EUCLID: “Recognizing this disturbing collaboration with fascist actors including the Trump administration, far-right Ohio government officials, and Israeli officials and institutions responsible for war crimes against Palestinians, we demand the university to not comply with federal orders that threaten the safety of minority students on campus. We demand that CWRU upholds its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and does not cooperate with I.C.E if they appear on campus or inquire about CWRU students, staff, or faculty.”

Statement from SJP.

1. CORNER OF ADELBERT AND EUCLID: Walkout attendees paused at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Adelbert Road, widening into a circle that surrounded Speaker B. Attendees cheered for key phrases throughout the speech, of which some parts were inaudible over the blaring horns of cars stopped at the intersection. Two minutes into the speech, an irritated driver got out of his car, shouting, “We don’t care!” The speech continued on. 

1. OUTSIDE ADELBERT HALL: “I think it’s cool that they’re speaking about what they care about … a lot of these things you hear about them, and they’re super big for a while, but then they kind of disappear and people move on to the next big thing. So, it’s kind of cool to bring it back up.”

Anonymous bystander. 

1. WADE LAGOON 2: “The Trump administration, this state, is terrified of student power. They are terrified of students finding solidarity with the community around them. Audre Lorde said, ‘Change does not come about in a day nor years.’ Your power is relative, but it is real, and if you do not learn to use it, it will be used against you. Change did not begin with you, and it will not end with you, but what you do with your life is an absolutely vital piece of that change.”

Speaker C at Wade Lagoon.