Students at university in central Türkiye hold vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza

By Zekeriya Karadavut

AKSARAY, Türkiye (AA) – Students at Aksaray University in central Türkiye held a vigil Tuesday honoring those who have died in Israel's war on Gaza and in support of Palestinians.

They gathered in the campus olive grove area with the slogan "We stand for freedom."

In his speech on behalf of the group, Bedirhan Sag, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences, said they see the events that have unfolded since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7 last year as one of the most brutal massacres in human history.

Sag highlighted the systematic killing of Palestinians by Zionists.

He also criticized Western support for Israel despite these atrocities while noting the recent increase in anti-Zionist protests across US states and universities.

Despite facing opposition, these protests aim to support Palestine's resistance, he added.

Sag concluded with a call for global solidarity against oppression and announced the start of a "Gaza Resistance Vigil" on their campus.

Demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli siege in Gaza have spread across university campuses in the US and Europe in recent weeks.

More than 2,000 people have been arrested at US campuses since April 18 amid heavily polarized debates over the right to protest, the limits of free speech and accusations of antisemitism.

But while clashes and standoffs with police at New York’s Columbia University, Portland State University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have captured global attention, demonstrations and sit-ins are also being held on campuses in parts of Europe, including France, Britain and Switzerland.

Although protesters' demands vary by university, the vast majority of demonstrations have called for colleges to divest from companies that support Israel and the Gaza war.