Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a vigil on campus on Oct. 8 to honour Palestinian lives lost and to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel.

A spokesperson for SJP shared the group’s vision behind organizing the event, emphasizing the need for a safe space where students could mourn the events that have occurred over the past year.

“We just wanted to amplify and raise awareness, not just of the Palestinian occupation, but of the treatment of Palestinians on campus, and the vigil allowed us to provide that safe space for students,” said the SJP spokesperson.

The vigil featured a list displaying the names of children under the age of 17 who were killed in Gaza since March, according to the SJP spokesperson. The list was draped across the steps of the university’s administration building.

Several individuals spoke at the vigil, including David Camfield, a U of M professor and coordinator of the labour studies program. “Today is a time to mourn,” stated Camfield during the vigil. “As we mourn, we also need to recommit ourselves to action to support the people of Palestine,” said Camfield.

Melody McKiver, an assistant professor of the Desautels faculty of music, also spoke at the vigil. McKiver sung “Duck and Dive,” from the Nez Perce people and described it as a traditional song depicting their battle with the U.S. army.

Members of SJP also addressed those in attendance from the steps of the administration building.

The spokesperson for SJP mentioned that the faculty for Palestine — defined as a “network of academics committed to advancing the struggle for Palestinian liberation, justice and equality through the academic sector” — assisted SJP to craft this event.

“Everything went by smoothly,” said the spokesperson. “We’re extremely grateful for the turnout.”