West Orange To Verona: Students Hold Walkout Over Israel-Palestine War

This article was updated at 4:35 p.m. on Nov. 22

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A high school walkout in support of Palestine took place in West Orange on Wednesday, with students marching to a nearby park in Verona to call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. A group of pro-Israel demonstrators also rallied in the park.

Students planned to leave West Orange High School around 11 a.m. Dozens of youth were later seen marching at Verona Park and shouting slogans that included "Free Palestine."

West Orange school district administrators said the students had a police escort to Verona Park. Other adults also joined the student protesters. The group reportedly left the park around 12:45 p.m.

A spokesperson for the Essex County Sheriff’s Office told Patch that there were about 100 protesters at the park. The demonstration was peaceful, and no arrests or incidents took place.

The march was organized by West Orange Teens for Palestine, a group of high school seniors. They were supported by other advocacy groups in New Jersey: The Next Gen Come Up, Teaching While Muslim, BLM Paterson and Jewish Voices For Peace (Central Jersey).

According to a statement from The Next Gen Come Up, the students were marching to “advocate for a ceasefire and freedom of speech.”

The group added that the founders of West Orange Teens for Palestine are currently staying anonymous for their safety and privacy.

The students shared the following statement about their walkout on Nov. 22:

“We represent humanity and the youth of West Orange. This is not a matter of Muslims versus Jews; it's a matter of educating people on the history of Israel and Palestine, and shedding light on the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. We represent the Palestinians who do not have a voice in ending their occupation. The younger generation does not want to see vulnerable people – women, children, and the elderly – massacred. We want an immediate ceasefire.”

A message posted on social media prior to Wednesday's rally warned students that walking out of class would result in a cut for attendance at the minimum.

"Also, we want to stress the importance of us remaining civil and leaving public property alone," organizers added. "To clarify, we will not be tearing down the Hamas hostage posters while marching. We will not engage opposition. We know what we are marching for, and we will stick to that."

Meanwhile, dozens of Jewish community members held a peaceful vigil nearby, denouncing terrorism and showing solidarity with Israel (see video below). The counter-demonstration was sponsored by the Metrowest Israel Action Committee.

Renee Glick, a member of the Metrowest Israel Action Committee, was among the pro-Israel supporters present at Wednesday’s vigil.

“It is distressing to see misinformed teens educated by TikTok, chanting throughout the streets of West Orange, ‘From the River to the Sea,’ which calls for the genocide of the Jewish people living in Israel,” Glick said.

“One of the students had a sign accusing Israel of being an ‘apartheid state,’ which is so far from the truth because Arab citizens in Israel share all the same rights as Israeli citizens,” Glick said. “After 9/11, no one dared demand a ceasefire from the U.S. Likewise, Israel should not be coerced into a permanent ceasefire until terrorism is obliterated and all of the hostages are safely returned.”

Casualties and suffering have been heavy for Israelis and Palestinians alike as war rages in the Middle East. Read More: Israel-Hamas: How To Talk To Your Kids, Practice Self-Care

More than 1,400 Israelis were killed after Hamas launched a coordinated attack on Oct. 7, including civilians and children. Dozens of the deceased are U.S. residents, including some from New Jersey. It’s estimated that nearly 250 Israeli soldiers and civilians were also seized by Hamas and taken into Gaza as hostages – where most of them still remain.

Meanwhile, the latest death toll from Palestinian authorities stands at more than 11,000 people who have been killed in Gaza due to Israel's retaliatory air strikes and ground invasion –including thousands of children and civilians. Israel has cut off water and electricity in Gaza, raising an outcry from advocates and several humanitarian organizations.

FREE SPEECH

There is also another issue involved in Wednesday's student walkout, organizers said: “free speech.”

The walkout was originally planned for the last period of the day on Oct. 30. However, it was delayed after an outcry from people who said the event was causing fear in West Orange’s Jewish community.

In particular, critics said they were offended by one of the slogans that appeared on flyers for the walkout, which included the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – which some advocates have characterized as hate speech. Read More: Controversial Slogan Incites Fear As West Orange Students Plan Walkout

A Change.org petition that garnered more than 1,000 signatures laid out some of their objections:

“We would never encourage censoring a protest but will point out that the first amendment does have some caveats including threats. ‘From the river to the sea,’ as referenced in Mayor Susan McCartney’s message, encourages the elimination of Jews - THIS IS HATE SPEECH - making us question if this in fact is meant to be a peaceful walkout. If peaceful opposition is the true goal, then we question how much the people organizing it actually know about this conflict if they are using this term. As educators, it is your responsibility to remain impartial and to patrol hate speech, to ensure that your students are not fed rhetoric to perpetuate untruths that feed into bigotry and antisemitism. Has West Orange High School educated its student body on the history of this conflict and what these terms mean? This is not political but historical. Separately, have you empowered students who denounce the terrorist acts of October 7 and support Israel’s right to defend itself to organize a counter protest?”

School administrators previously said that the district is not sponsoring, supporting or condoning the demonstration.

“We have also met with students to ensure that they know that cutting class to participate in a demonstration will lead to disciplinary consequences,” West Orange High School Principal Oscar Guerrero said after the initial walkout was announced.

“In addition, they have been cautioned that inappropriate speeches or statements, up to and including hate speech, could also lead to additional disciplinary action,” Guerrero said.

The student organizers behind the walkout eventually released their own statements in the wake of the controversy, emphasizing that their intent was to uplift “peace and humanity” and not to cause division among their neighbors.

“Saying ‘Free Palestine’ does not mean we condone Hamas,” organizers said.

That explanation wasn’t enough for some West Orange residents, who have continued to decry their attempt to stage a walkout over the war, as well as reports that pro-Israel flyers calling for the release of hostages have been torn down in Essex County.

Some social media users have been probing into the identities of the students who reportedly led the walkout effort – which got a strong rebuke from youth-led advocacy group Black Lives Matter Paterson earlier this week.

The group accused parents of “calling for the doxing and harassment of these students online,” and alleged that parents “stormed” the high school during school hours to demand disciplinary action against them.

• See Related: West Orange Parents Fear Pro-Palestine Students May Be 'Doxxed'

School officials took to the internet to counter that claim.

“Contrary to recent statements on social media, at no point in time has anyone ‘stormed the high school’ or any of our buildings,” administrators wrote, adding that security camera footage “dispels any claims to the contrary.”

“It is crucial to emphasize that we do not endorse or tolerate any form of hate speech within our school community,” officials added.

However, this fear – that students may be vulnerable to doxing and harassment – boiled over into a recent West Orange Board of Education meeting.

Board President Brian Rock spoke about the issue prior to public comment.

Referencing a previous statement that Superintendent Hayden Moore issued about the war, Rock commended Hayden and district administrators for the way they responded to the walkout. Saying that there is a “lot of disinformation” floating around on social media, Rock emphasized that the walkout was not condoned by the school and was the result of students acting on their own “as individuals.”

“We’ve received many emails about this, and some of those asked, ‘How could you let this happen?’” Rock said.

“Ultimately, this was a teachable moment,” he continued. “The administration was able to use their relationships with these students to help them reflect on the impact of their actions and to make wise decisions.”

The day after the meeting, Superintendent Moore replied to the people who spoke in a follow-up post on Instagram. He wrote:

“I thank everyone who attended last night's Board of Education meeting, engaging in a crucial and passionate discussion about the safety of our students. Today I reiterate for the sake of the entire school community: the safety and well-being of ALL of our students is, always has been, and always will be, our paramount concern. This is non-negotiable and lies at the core of our mission.”

Moore continued:

“Regarding the recent alarming incidents of hate speech and threats circulating on local social media groups directed at our students; this behavior is utterly unacceptable and disgraceful, and impacts not only individuals but ripples through our entire community beyond our schools. I undeniably condemn these actions. The district and school administration are proactively working hand in hand with the West Orange Police Department and authorities. Each and every incident is reported for investigation.”

“Let us lean on our community values and foundation built on unity, peace, mutual respect and support,” Moore concluded. “Our strength is in our diversity, and together we can navigate this period of time and emerge wiser, stronger and unified in peace.”

• See Related: Show Compassion For Israel, Palestinian Families, West Orange Official Says

Protests and vigils continue to be held by pro-Israel and pro-Palestine supporters across New Jersey, where opinions about the war remain starkly divided.

• See Related: Thousands Demonstrate In NJ Town In Response To Hamas Attacks
• See Related: Israel-Hamas: Vigil In Montclair Demands Release Of Hostages
  
• See Related: 'Free Palestine' Protesters Storm Sen. Cory Booker's Office In Newark

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