Tallahassee students rally for release of detained pro-Palestine students, end of repression at FSU

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, March 27, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) came together with community members to demand the release of political prisoners. This comes in the light of growing arrests and threatened deportations of pro-Palestine activists including Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia.

A crowd of more than 30 stood up and demanded an end to these measures of heightened repression on the student movement. Protesters condemned this oppression with their voices, signs and Palestinian flags in hand.

Onlookers shouted and honked in support. The demands of this protest were a liberated Palestine, protesters to be safe from state repression, and the reinstatement of Students for a Democratic Society on Florida State University’s campus.

Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, encouraged students to “struggle for Students for a Democratic Society to return to campus!” Pierre’s statement was directed to Florida State University’s administration. In January 2024, Tallahassee SDS was delisted for protesting against FSU’s continued acts of support for Israel’s apartheid. Their suspension was extended after a safety marshal training on an FSU green space.

On Wednesday, March 26, FSU’s Students Supporting Israel chapter held an event with two Israeli occupation force soldiers. The FSU administration has allowed several IOF soldiers to speak on campus during the past year and a half. Meanwhile, Aedan Bennett, representing the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance, was arrested and banned from FSUs campus for refusing to take down a tent during SDS’ Gaza solidarity encampment. Bennett stated, “They try to act like this issue is about crime, but they have made it about crushing dissent.”

In a display of resistance to the IOF’s presence on FSU’s campus, Students for a Democratic Society carried out a banner drop at the Huge Classroom Building to condemn the university’s platforming of war criminals. The so-called “Triggered Tour,” featuring Israeli soldiers, highlights the deep hypocrisy of FSU’s administration. While pro-Palestinian students are harassed, surveilled and punished for speaking out, those who represent and defend the ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people are welcomed with open arms. This action served as a direct challenge to that double standard, demanding accountability and standing in solidarity with Palestine.

This double standard extends beyond higher education. Local politicians like Florida House Representative Randy Fine have actively worked to criminalize and dehumanize the Palestinian struggle. In a recent attack, Fine targeted pro-Palestinian activist Robert Lee of Tallahassee Food Not Bombs, disparaging him for wearing a keffiyeh by calling it a “terrorist rag.” The keffiyeh is a traditional Palestinian garment that represents resistance, heritage and solidarity. This was more than a personal insult; it was a direct attack on Palestinian identity and an example of the broader campaign to silence and vilify those who speak out for justice.

Robert Lee responded stating, “Fine calling the keffiyeh a terrorist rag is hate speech.” Fine’s words serve as a powerful reminder that anti-Palestinian racism is alive and well and must be called out at every level, from college campuses to the halls of government.

Speaking on behalf of Tallahassee SDS, Alice Bostwick opened the rally with a reminder of what the detained protesters fought for: an end to the genocide. Bostwick informed listeners that “the Gaza Health Ministry has just released over 1000 pages of names of each of the 50,000 identified lives lost.”

Speakers represented organizations throughout the city, including Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance, Food Not Bombs, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Graduate Assistants United, Tallahassee Community Action Committee, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Tallahassee SDS will continue their campaign to get back on campus as a recognized student organization, build student power to combat repression, and fight for a free Palestine. This work will continue through weekly planning meetings every Tuesday at the locally-owned Common Ground Books at 5 p.m.

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