Members of the Georgetown University chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student group that demonstrates support for Palestinian students, organized a die-in protest in Red Square while prospective students and parents visited campus during Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program (GAAP) Weekend April 12.

The die-in, a form of protest that AIDS protesters used during the 1980s, included individuals calling names of the deceased while others lay down on the ground to model death. SJP commemorated the more than 400 Palestinians killed at Al-Shifa hospital, a Gazan hospital, and demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. 

Selina Al-Shihabi (SFS ’26), an SJP board member, said the format of the die-in protest aimed to illustrate the level of suffering among Palestinians in Gaza. 

“A lot of times, we as humans have a hard time being able to really, tangibly understand how many people have died,” Al-Shihabi told The Hoya. “So the reason that we have these die-ins is for people to really understand the gravity of the situation and to really be able to see the amount of people who have been killed.”

The die-in followed several peaceful protests and walk-outs SJP has organized and concluded the group’s Apartheid Week, a week that sought to reflect on Gaza’s history through teach-ins on apartheid practices in South Africa and Palestine. More than 30 people attended the die-in protest.

Iklil Bouhmouch (GRD ’24) read testimonies of witnesses and final words of those killed in Al-Shifa hospital that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) besieged from March 18 to April 1. Bouhmouch said these readings would remember and honor those killed in Gaza.

“As the genocide continues and the number of people killed and injured continues to rise, many have chosen to look away or have become desensitized,” Bouhmouch wrote to The Hoya. “It’s imperative that we continue bearing witness, feeling empathy for the destruction of human lives, as well as listening to and amplifying Palestinian voices.”

Al-Shihabi said SJP decided to time their die-in protest to coincide with GAAP Weekend so SJP could demonstrate its commitment to creating a space for pro-Palestinian voices on campus.

“By organizing that protest, we hope to show pro-Palestinian and Palestinian Muslim students that Georgetown is a campus that welcomes and accepts them and tells Zionist students that they are not welcome on our campus and their beliefs actively harm and discriminate against Palestinians,” Al-Shihabi said. 

Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed over 1,000 Israelis, Israel’s military response has killed over 33,000 people and has left over 76,000 people injured, including over 13,000 children in Gaza. Civilians who live in the Gaza Strip experience a severe shortage of food, water, shelter and access to hospitals. 

The ongoing crisis has displaced 1.7 million people in Gaza, causing overcrowding and poor sanitation, which increases the spread of diseases.

The spokesperson said students can freely express ideas and viewpoints in Red Square, adding that the university is committed to ensuring freedom of expression and a safe, welcoming campus.

“Red Square is uniquely located as a public forum expressly designed for the impromptu and ongoing expression of ideas and viewpoints by members of our campus community,” a university spokesperson said. “All members of the community can expect to encounter a marketplace of ideas in this central campus place.”

“While members of our community exercise freedom of speech, we work towards a living, learning community that is free of bias and geared toward thoughtful, respectful dialogue,” the spokesperson added.

Brandon Wu (SFS ’24) said he attended the protest because of the university’s lack of divestment from companies that fund Israel’s violence toward Palestinians.

“Georgetown’s lack of responsiveness to students’ calls for divestment from companies funding the killing of innocent Palestinians was the specific reason why I decided to attend the die-in,” Wu wrote to The Hoya. “It is unacceptable that our tuition dollars are funding military investment abroad that is actively contributing to the death of 33,000+ Palestinians and the risk of famine faced by 1 million Palestinians in Gaza.”

A university spokesperson said members of the Georgetown community who support divestment can contact the Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility, which advises the university on sustainable investment strategies.

“Any member of the university community interested in submitting a written proposal for consideration is welcome to email the Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility (CISR),” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.

Al-Shihabi said SJP’s greatest goal is for Georgetown to actively work to end the conflict in Gaza by divesting from companies such as Amazon that sell technology to the Israeli military. Although Georgetown President John DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRD ’95) called for a ceasefire in Gaza April 2, Al-Shihabi said this move came far too late.

“We had many protests, many statements released, many petitions and finally DeGioia released and issued the ceasefire statement,” Al-Shihabi said. “This statement was a long time overdue. It shouldn’t have had to have been released after there were over 100,000 casualties.”

Since November 2023, SJP has called on the university to establish a working group to collaborate on measures to protect Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students on campus. 

Al-Shihabi said the significance of SJP’s die-in lies in their demand for the university to take more concrete action regarding the war in Gaza.

“We appreciate the statement, but I just want to reiterate the importance comes down to taking action. It’s very easy to write a couple of sentences,” Al-Shihabi said. “We need the working group for Palestinian students and we need divestment immediately because we at Georgetown and our tuition money is going to funding a genocide.”