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GW students hold pro-Israel rally during 8th day of protests supporting Gaza

Students say prayers during a GW rally on May 2, 2024, that organizers say was against campus antisemitism.(WTOP/Kate Ryan)

A group of Jewish and pro-Israel students held a rally at The George Washington University in D.C. on Thursday “against campus antisemitism,” as a pro-Palestinian protest and encampment continued on the campus for an eighth day.

The rally began at 11 a.m. at G Street Park, with participants shouting chants of “Bring them home,” referring to hostages who were taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Rallygoers were joined by Republican Sen. Rick Scott, from Florida, who said the D.C. government was not doing enough to keep students safe during the more than weeklong pro-Palestinian protest. Relatives of hostages held by Hamas also spoke Thursday.

One student stressed that they denounce violence in all forms, and offered a prayer for all those who have suffered violence since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, while voicing strong support for Israel.

The rally remained peaceful, and there was a police presence nearby.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations on GW’s campus have also remained nonviolent. On other college campuses, such as Columbia University in New York and UCLA, there have been clashes between police and protesters, leading to the arrest of hundreds of students nationwide.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.

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Thomas Robertson

Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

Hundreds of protesters gathered at George Washington University in D.C., on Thursday, April 25, 2024, over the Israel-Hamas war. (WTOP/Scott Gelman)
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