New Orleans students occupy the street in front of the Loyola president's house — Fight Back! News

New Orleans, LA – On September 18, students from Loyola Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized a rally to demand that Loyola University of New Orleans reduce its investment from Israel. Despite the student body's increasingly loud demands in recent months, the administration responded only with violence.

The group met outside Loyola University's campus on St. Charles Street, where two speakers from Tulane and Loyola's SDS departments spoke about both universities' ties to Israel and the lack of transparency regarding how tuition money is used.

A Tulane SDS spokesman linked the genocide to New Orleans, stating: “Tulane is the lead university in the U.S.-Israel Energy Exchange, a program that studies fossil fuel extraction in occupied Palestine. The research for this program takes place right on the ground.”

This program is responsible for exploring potential oil wells off the coast of Gaza that Israel could exploit if it wins the war and ethnically cleanses Gaza. Less well known is where Loyola's foundation invests—the page on its website literally “doesn't exist.” However, students have done some research that sheds some light on the question.

“They are partners with the Lily Endowment, a Zionist institution. They recently donated $1.25 million to the Loyola Institute of Ministries,” said a spokeswoman for Loyola SDS, noting that both universities have refused to disclose their billions of dollars in endowment funds despite loud demands from students.

Students and community members then walked down Saint Charles Avenue and turned onto Arabella Street to welcome Dr. Xavier Cole, president of Loyola University of New Orleans, to his home.

“Xavier Cole, you cannot hide, we will charge you with genocide!” shouted as Cole fled to his car. As Cole drove away, he stayed behind for a few minutes to tell the police what had happened and listened to the speeches for several minutes.

He stayed long enough to be sharply confronted by a freshman speaker. “It is our right, if not our duty, as students to advocate for change. We will not stop until we know where our tuition is going. We will not stop until our money is no longer being used to fund a genocide, and we will not stop until our friends are no longer unjustly persecuted for exercising their rights,” she said.

Cole was also criticized by Juleea Berthelot, spokesperson for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “Just as we demonstrate in defense of Black lives and against police brutality in our own country, we continue to demonstrate for Palestinian lives,” they said. After Cole left, the students quickly concluded their gathering and returned to campus to disperse.

Before leaving, the students demanded several measures, especially the criminal charges brought against some members of the SDS. They called on community members to appear on Friday, September 20, for the first trial in the country regarding the camp detention.

#New Orleans LA #LA #Anti-war movement #Palestine #Safety Data Sheet (SDS) #Political repression #Freedom of speech