Hundreds of students walked out of classes Wednesday midday and gathered at the south steps of the Rotunda to call for an end to the occupation of Palestine and the release of Mahmoud Khalil — a graduate student activist recently detained by immigration authorities. Protesters also demanded that the University commit to protecting all of its students’ right to free speech.
24 student organizations, including Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, were involved in organizing the walkout and shared fliers across social media to encourage students to join.
As students gathered at the Rotunda, organizers led chants such as, “Hey, hey, U.Va. DEI is here to stay!,” and “BOV, you can’t hide! You’re supporting genocide!” Students then marched from the south side of the Rotunda to Madison Hall, where President Jim Ryan’s office is located.
This walkout comes after federal immigration authorities arrested Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who played a prominent role in Columbia University students’ protests against the Israeli government’s attacks on Gaza last spring. This arrest was a notable escalation in the Trump administration’s promise to detain and deport student activists. March 9, a federal judge ordered the United States government not to deport Khalil, and as of publication, the administration has complied with the ruling, and Khalil remains in immigration detention.
Eli Weinger, president of Jewish Voice for Peace at U.Va. and third-year Batten student, said the protest comes in response to what protesters view as an erosion of civil liberties and student protections.
“I think that right now, we are seeing a growing fascist threat and fascism doesn't come all at once, it comes inch by inch,” Weinger said. “Every inch, they're looking to see how much will people take? How much will they tolerate their freedoms being taken away?.”
At the start of the rally outside Madison Hall, one protest leader read aloud a letter from Khalil, written from the immigration detention facility where he is currently being held in Louisiana. In the letter, Khalil described his arrest as a direct consequence of his advocacy for a free Palestine and called on students to continue organizing.
“Students have long been at the forefront of change — leading the charge against the Vietnam War, standing on the frontlines of the civil rights movement, and driving the struggle against apartheid in South Africa,” Khalil wrote. “Today, too, even if the public has yet to fully grasp it, it is students who steer us toward truth and justice.”
The reading of Khalil’s letter set the tone for the rest of the rally, which featured speeches from student speakers connecting Khalil’s detention to broader patterns of repression, both nationally and on Grounds.
Among the speakers was Thomas Frampton, associate professor at the School of Law, who provided legal context for Khalil’s arrest and criticized the University’s silence on free speech concerns raised by past incidents involving student activists.
During his speech at the rally, Frampton also emphasized the absence of a legal category for political prisoners in the United States, contrasting it with international definitions and called on students to recognize how movements for Palestinian freedom intersect with other struggles, including the fight for transgender rights and racial justice.
Throughout the protest, several speakers and attendees drew connections between the fight for Palestinian liberation and other social justice issues on and off Grounds. One student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the walkout served as a space to express broader frustrations with the state of equity and inclusion at the University.
“I feel really passionately about this cause and about the University divesting from organizations that support Israel,” the student said. “Protecting trans individuals, fighting for more anti-racist action across the U.S., as well as the Palestine argument, I think all of these are intertwined.”
When asked whether they felt the University was protecting students' right to free speech, one anonymous student expressed mixed feelings about the University's current stance.
“I think [the University] is tolerating [protests] right now … but they’re certainly not amplifying it or advocating for it,” the student said.
For Weinger and other organizers, turnout at actions like Wednesday’s walkout serves as an early measure of how much energy students are willing to devote to resisting what they see as a growing crackdown on civil liberties.
“It means a lot to see everyone out here, and I hope that in the coming months, more and more folks will come out and support movements for liberation,” Weinger said.
Weinger discussed a growing sense among student activists that engaging in political expression, particularly around Palestine, comes with heightened risks. He cited recent federal actions, social backlash and perceived administrative silence as contributing to a campus climate in which students feel unsafe speaking out.
“I think that there's nothing U.Va. has done thus far to indicate they are protecting their students,” Weinger said. “… it would be nice if the University spent a modicum of the energy focused on actually keeping us safe by protecting us from the administration hell-bent on destroying the progress that has been made for marginalized communities.”
Students present at the protest cited a range of motivations for being there. Some chose to remain anonymous, citing concerns about potential retaliation under the Trump administration’s recent crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.
“[I am] showing support to everyone here. We want to let them know that they’re not alone in what they stand for,” one of these students said.
Aside from students, a large number of community members also joined the walkout, including a human rights lawyer, who did not offer their full name, who attended to show solidarity and speak out against Khalil’s detention. This person said that Khalil’s arrest reflects a broader pattern of targeting Palestinians for their political expression.
Reflecting on the day’s turnout, they said the energy reminded them of student activism they participated in decades ago. While the issues remain deeply rooted, they expressed hope that this generation would carry the momentum even further.
“It’s really, really great to see all these students come out,” they said. “Hopefully this is just scratching the surface.”
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