On Monday Oct. 7, students who walked past the Glade on their way to and from Lewis & Clark’s academic campus encountered an installation featuring 95 signs hammered into the ground. The display memorialized the hostages taken from Israel who are still held in captivity by the militant group Hamas.
In a separate development, on the morning of Oct. 7, flyers were distributed throughout LC’s academic campus, which advocated for action to be taken against Israel for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supported the right of Palestinians to self-determination. Different flyers expressed different sentiments, ranging from anti-Zionist beliefs to anti-war views to pro-Palestinian advocacy.
By 10 a.m., several flyers had been taken down and thrown out. Throughout that Monday, flyers were repeatedly distributed across campus and subsequently removed by students, staff and faculty. Several flyers were placed on the grass in front of the signs on the Glade, though these were promptly removed, too. It is unclear whether the flyers or the installation came first, though both were in response to the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel using ground incursions and rocket-fire. The attack resulted in Israeli deaths and the capture of hostages by Hamas. In retaliation, Israel launched extensive air and ground operations in Gaza, stating that their military actions are aimed at dismantling Hamas’ infrastructure and leadership. The escalation of the conflict over the last year has resulted in substantial casualties and has further compounded Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis. As fighting intensifies, both sides face mounting losses. Although tracking casualties has become increasingly difficult due to damaged infrastructure and the collapse of Gaza’s medical system, several international entities have acknowledged that there have been significantly more Palestinian casualties than Israeli casualties, including the International Court of Justice and the World Health Organization. Global attention is increasingly fixed on the region amid growing concerns over the conflict’s broader implications, which recently expanded to involve Lebanon and Iran.
In the United States, ideological tensions surrounding the conflict have escalated, including on college campuses like LC. Students have engaged in different types of conversations, demonstrations and activism in response to the conflict. The anniversary of Oct. 7 elicited a variety of responses, including the installation in the Glade and the placement of flyers around campus.
The installation featured 95 pieces of paper attached to stakes in the ground, as well as a yellow balloon and yellow ribbon on each stake. Yellow ribbons have become a symbol of solidarity for the movement to free Israeli hostages in Gaza. The 95 elements stood for the Israeli hostages who remain unaccounted for. Each piece of paper featured a photo of each hostage, along with their name and large text reading “BRING HIM/HER HOME.” Each paper also had a QR code leading to the website of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum — the organization from which the flyers were sourced.
The flyers taped to the doors of J.R. Howard and to the bridge contained red illustrations of blood dripping. They featured photos and descriptions of children and adolescents killed by Israeli military activity before the events of Oct. 7.
“Since its creation in 1948, Israel has committed the most atrocious crimes on the Palestinian population. Murders and brutalities that extend far beyond October 7th,” one of the flyers read. “As the world silently watches a systematic genocide, we will continue to raise our voices and our stories — of murder, mutilation, targeted attacks of civilians, and the grim reality of a ruthless and bloody apartheid. Spread the truth. Change the narrative. Take a photo. Palestinians have every right to their land. Palestinians have every right to resist.”
These flyers were sourced from Murdered by Israel, a project made by a group of citizens in Sydney, Australia. According to their website, the group aims to humanize the lives of children killed by Israeli military activity.
Many flyers distributed across campus on the Oct. 7 anniversary contained green, red, white and black elements – which alluded to the Palestinian flag and expressed support for Palestinians. Some flyers called for a ceasefire, some promoted local Portland pro-Palestine rallies, some advertised a student-run event discussing the conflict from an anti-Zionist perspective and others featured infographics discussing the 17-year blockade of the Gaza Strip and the role of armed resistance in Palestinian self-determination. Another flyer called for an end to Israeli military involvement in Lebanon.
The Mossy Log has independently verified that the Glade installation was approved by administration and the flyers throughout campus were not, although flyers posted in academic buildings do not need approval.
On the night of Sunday, Oct. 6, LC students Isaac Babus ’26, Sammi Weiss ’27 and a third unidentified student constructed the Glade installation.
Babus, quoted in this article, is a staff writer for The Mossy Log.
In an interview on the afternoon of Oct. 7, Babus discussed his and Weiss’ intentions in creating the installation in the Glade.
“Today is one year since Oct. 7,” said Babus. “This marks one year since that point, and these are almost all 101 of those Israeli and non-Israeli hostages that are still being held there today.”
The 101 total hostage count includes people taken hostage in 2014 and 2015, according to BBC.
Babus clarified that, although both he and Weiss are members of LC Hillel, the installation is not affiliated with PDX Hillel.
Executive Director of PDX Hillel Hannah Sherman confirmed this in a statement to The Mossy Log, emailed on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“This installment was not an initiative of PDX Hillel, instead an independent project by a few of our Hillel student leaders who wanted to raise awareness about the nearly 100 hostages still held in Gaza and we support these students in wanting to share this message to the broader campus community,” the statement read.
Weiss and Babus emphasized that their memorial was designed to honor the hostages — not to take any political stance on the conflict.
“It’s about bringing innocent people home. And this is what started the war. And to me, bringing them home would end it,” Weiss said.
Weiss then responded to the flyers put up in support of Palestinian resistance and explained why, along with faculty, staff and other students, her and Babus took the flyers down.
“We took them down because they’re not authorized to be up,” Weiss said. “I see the intent of it. But these flyers are not okay, and they hurt a lot of people.”
In a statement to The Mossy Log on Oct. 16, Vice President for Communications Lori Friedman, speaking on behalf of the LC administration, stated via email that there are no policies that expressly prohibit students from removing unauthorized materials posted in public spaces.
“There is no specific policy that addresses this exact situation. The administration supports both free speech, as well as community members’ right to feel safe and welcome,” the statement read.
A third-year student who has engaged in anti-Zionist activism off campus agreed to talk to The Mossy Log, under the condition of anonymity. Although not affiliated with Students for Jusice in Palestine Palatine Hill (SJPPH), he expressed the wish that he could engage more in anti-Zionist advocacy on campus without fearing for his safety.
The source expressed frustration with the removal of pro-Palestine flyers.
“I had seen all of the flyers that were posted about the victims, the Palestinian victims that were killed by Israel. And as I was in class … I saw someone that I recognized from LC Hillel, and the Zionist, active members of the campus, who were walking around J.R. Howard and ripping down these flyers,” he said. “I didn’t want to make a scene out of it, and I wasn’t aware of the Glade installation at that point, and so I sat back and just watched it happen. And then when I came out of class, I saw the Glade installation. They took down our flyers while theirs were on display at the Glade.”
The source clarified that he was not responsible for putting up any of the flyers but rather used “our” to refer to students and members of the community who express anti-Zionist sentiments.
He inquired at several offices about taking down the hostage memorial the same way the pro-Palestine flyers were removed and was informed that doing so would result in disciplinary action.
“And so my reaction to that was … one side can do something and get away with it with impunity, while if we were to do anything, we would be the first to suffer consequences,” he said.
The student said he felt this treatment was unfair, even though the Glade installation was approved by administration. The flyers posted in J.R. Howard were not approved, though postings in academic buildings do not require administrative approval.
He continued by addressing the content of the flyers posted on Oct. 7.
“I have pictures of the flyers that were posted up, and the flyers clearly stated ‘Murdered by the State of Israel’ in big red font. I think that’s factual. I think that is something that has been internationally recognized and investigated,” he said. “The same way, the hostages were a fact. Those people were murdered, and that’s a fact.”
The source identified the encampment as a major catalyst for the changes to the protest policy implemented this year. He elaborated on his position, saying that the school should play a role in mediating and managing student protests.
“I think the school should be in charge of protecting the people speaking up. I think the school should be in charge of facilitating communication, whatever that means,” he said.
Director of Public Relations Lois Leveen, on behalf of LC, addressed the role of the school in responding to student activism and student demonstrations.
“We do not expect all members of the L&C community to be in agreement about what are undeniably complex and troubling world events,” stated Leveen via email. “But we do expect members of our community to be respectful in expressing themselves and in allowing those who hold different views to express themselves, also in a respectful manner. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to ensure that is the case, but that is always the goal for us. Learning to understand and engage with people we disagree with is challenging, but it’s also one of the most essential lessons for all of us. And we see internationally, nationally, and locally what happens when people can’t or won’t put that lesson into practice.”
The anonymous student source expressed his position that the installation in the Glade contributed to tensions on campus.
“I think a display such as the one that was at the Glade … causes more harm than good. I don’t think it was put there for any audience that could benefit from learning about it. It was put there to instigate greater tension on campus and to taunt people,” he said.
Babus reflected on the experience of creating the installation, noting that the intent behind the display was not antagonistic, but rather educational and meant to promote conversation.
“We put up the hostage display to show that Jews, Israelis and all others being held hostage are real humans,” Babus said via email on Oct. 15. “We will continue being outspoken in our Jewish identities, calling out and educating others on antisemitism and asking people to question their internal biases with pride.”
The installation was removed by the end of the week of Oct. 7.
Updated 10/22/2024.
Leave a Reply