UCLA Groups Mark October 7 Anniversary with Pro-Palestinian Rally

UCLA Students for Justice in Palestine and 22 endorsing groups held a pro-Palestinian march and rally on the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack. Organizers described the event as commemorating what they called an escalated genocide and uplifting Palestinian resistance, with chants including From the river to the sea. The demonstration drew backlash, and Instagram removed a prior promotional post.

At UCLA, the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and 22 endorsing organizations staged a march and rally in Bruin Plaza on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Organizers framed the gathering as marking what they described as an intensified genocide and as honoring Palestinian resistance. A prior promotional post was taken down by Instagram, the group said, while videos showed attendees chanting slogans including “From the river to the sea.”

The group also held a Maghrib prayer and vigil the previous day, and advertised an evening prayer led by Palestinian Christians for Justice. The event drew criticism online, including comments calling it “disgusting” and stating that rape is not resistance, an apparent reference to reports of sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attack that killed nearly 1,200 people.

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