George Washington (GW) University students are facing backlash after projecting anti-Israel messages on a campus building amid Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, with many saying the messages were antisemitic and harmful to the community.
The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) began projecting messages on the Gelman Library in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night before they were shut down by the police, student newspaper The GW Hatchet reported.
The messages ranged from criticizing Israel to condemning the school and its president, Ellen Granberg.
“Divestment from Zionist genocide now” and “Free Palestine From the River to the Sea” were among the messages. “Glory to our martyrs” was also projected, with some arguing it referred to the Palestinians who have died in the Israel-Hamas war and others saying it is honoring Hamas militants who invaded Israel on Oct. 7.
The student newspaper reports that the group was forced to take down the projections by the police after more than two hours, and that the officer said the school demanded the move.
“I feel very frustrated with how the University has responded,” a representative told the student newspaper. “They have consistently shown that they do not respect our lives. They do not respect our right to free speech. They do not respect our right to organize against the ongoing genocide that is happening to our people.”
The projections caught the attention of many on social media, with both Democrats and Republicans saying the protest was antisemitic.
“As an alumni of @GWtweets they should launch an investigation. I look forward to seeing the University statement on this,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“These are genocidal messages displayed on a building at George Washington University. If the students responsible for these messages aren’t severely punished by GWU, something is terribly wrong,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote. “Genocide isn’t hip, cute, or in any way acceptable. GWU—do the right thing NOW!”
“this is antisemitism — plain and simple. @GWtweets needs to do something about this,” said Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News.
GW released a statement saying the projections “violated university policy, and leadership intervened to ensure that these projections were removed.”
“The statements made by these individuals in no way reflect the views of the university. We are reviewing this incident and will take any appropriate steps with respect to the individuals involved in accordance with university policies,” the school said.
“We recognize the distress, hurt, and pain this has caused for many members of our community. The university will continue to communicate with all members of its community about the support resources available during this difficult time,” it added. “President [Ellen] Granberg will be communicating directly with the university community on this matter.”
A group of GW alumni in Congress including Moskowitz and Reps. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) and Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) penned a letter condemning the projections Wednesday and calling for further action from the school.
“The glorification of Hamas terrorists and calls for the destruction of Israel is vile and antisemitic,” the letter read. “GW must condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms and take immediate steps to protect its Jewish students.”
The Hill has reached the student-run SJP group for further comment.
A growing number of American colleges and universities are facing sharp pushback over their handling of the response to the Israel conflict from student groups and even some professors. Schools including Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have lost donors and partnerships over statements seen as antisemitic or insufficiently supportive of Israel.
—Updated at 6:13 p.m. Tara Suter contributed.