UCI Anti-Hate Rally Follows Symbol’s Torching

They came waving colorful posters and singing Bob Dylan songs. They were Arabs, Armenians and Latinos, all chanting, “Hate crimes will not silence us.”

Hundreds of students gathered Thursday at UC Irvine’s Free Speech Zone to protest last week’s destruction of a campus display depicting Palestinian suffering in Israel.

“We are here today to say ‘no’ to hatred and bigotry,” said Preston Wood, a member of the antiwar ANSWER Coalition. “An injury to one is an injury toward us all.”

Students, administrators and speakers from human rights coalitions exhorted the crowd of 250 to support their fight against hatred and intolerance.

Not present at the demonstration, however, were members of Anteaters for Israel. Merav Ceren, president of the campus Israeli students group, said a request to speak at the event, made to the Society of Arab Students, was denied. “We’re sorry they felt our presence wouldn’t be conducive to the rally,” said Ceren, 20, of Irvine. “But we empathize with them completely.”

Vanessa Zuabi, the vice president of the Arab students society who helped organize the rally, said the group wanted the demonstration to focus on the fight against hatred.

“We didn’t want to make this a political issue,” said Zuabi, 20, of Laguna Niguel. “This is about fighting hate toward any minority group. That is the message we’re trying to send.”

Members of the Arab students society organized the event after last week’s torching of its mock-up of the West Bank security barrier Israel recently built to keep out Palestinian suicide bombers.

UC Irvine Assistant Police Chief Jeff Hutchison said officials were investigating the incident as a hate crime. No witnesses had come forward, he said, and there were no suspects. “It is truly unfortunate,” Hutchison said.

Vice Chancellor Manuel N. Gomez called the arson an “act of intimidation against the principles of the entire community.”

Music and poetry were the highlights of Thursday’s rally. Speakers urged students to keep an open mind about heated issues such as conflict in the Middle East because that’s key to fighting hate crimes.

“We need to learn how to interact in an atmosphere of mutual respect,” said Ra’id Faraj of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “The burning [of the display] is an intolerable act done to [keep] students from discussing topics that are not popular.”

Viken Jermakjan, vice president of the Armenian Student Assn., urged groups of all nationalities to remain united.

“Burning down walls will lead to worse things,” he said. “This is not right. We need to stand together.”