Traffic on East Broad Street came to a standstill Monday afternoon, as anti-war, pro-Palestine students at Virginia Commonwealth University walked out of classes to march against the conflict in the Middle East.

Their march led to the State Capitol, where the Virginia Israel Advisory Board has a local office in Old City Hall. There, they chanted and shared personal stories of loss as a result of the war, as Capitol Police stood between them and the grounds.

  

“814 mosques destroyed, 30,000 children missing limbs, 2.2 million displaced residents, 300 journalists killed,” said VCU student Sereen Haddad, addressing a crowd outside the State Capitol. “For one year we’ve been watching children ripped from their parent’s arms, and their homes reduced to rubble.”

The march, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, was just one of several assemblies held on the one-year anniversary of an attack by Hamas that led to ongoing military actions by the Israeli government focused on Gaza.

The student march also was just one of many anti-war, pro-Palestine protests that have been held around the world in recent days, as the war in the Middle East has expanded into Yemen and Lebanon.

Around 1,100 Israelis were killed and about 250 people were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7. In the time since the war began, at least 41,000 Palestinians have died and over 96,000 have been injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Further injuries, deaths and displacements have occurred as the war has spread across the region.

“Today and every day, we mourn the lives lost on Oct. 7 and the suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon in the year since,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine said in a statement released Monday.

“It is in the best interest of U.S. and Israeli national security, as well as for the safety of U.S. service members in the Middle East, that we urgently de-escalate tensions across the region and find a path back to peace — so the Israeli, Palestinian, and Lebanese people can live side by side as neighbors and with the safety and dignity they deserve.”

Monday’s march was just the latest anti-war effort seen at VCU. In April, a “liberation zone” organized outside Cabell Library ended when multiple police departments used riot gear and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Similar encampments were organized across the country in response to the war, including at the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the University of Mary Washington. In the aftermath, 13 people, including six VCU students, were arrested and charged with trespassing and unlawful assembly.

Charges against seven of the protesters were dropped last Friday, following similar dismissals in late September. Further legal action for the remaining charges are pending.

Despite the police response and new conduct guidelines from the university that restrict assemblies and mask usage, VCU students have continued to organize and protest the war and VCU’s response to their efforts.

The protesters’ demands have ranged from calling for the resignation or removal of VCU President Michael Rao, to advocating for the defense of Palestinians on campus, urging a ceasefire supported by various organizations and politicians, and pushing for the university to divest from any deals or partnerships with the Israeli government.

Other events organized by SJP also have been held throughout the week, including the opening of an art installation at the VCU Commons Plaza on Tuesday, ending with a Day of Remembrance vigil. A fundraiser at Halal Munchies and a film screening on VCU’s campus were held Wednesday.