On Monday, dozens of students rallied around the rock in protest of Northwestern administration’s support for Israel and student labor practices. Student organizations Student Justice for Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, Fossil Free Northwestern, SOLR, as well as Educators for Justice in Palestine and Tech Workers for Palestine - Chicago came together to organize the protest, with plans for many more in the future.
Some of the demands called on the administration to disclose where tuition revenue goes, to stand in solidarity with student workers and stop investing in companies that support “Cop City,” a 90 million dollar military-grade facility that will train Atlanta police officers at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
The rally was deliberately held on Admitted Students Day, when incoming first-years visit the campus. Participants handed fliers titled "Welcome to the real Northwestern" to new students. The fliers claim that the school “supports genocide,” “memorializes colonial legacies,” “exploits workers” and “abuses the environment.”