Roughly 25 people protested Vice President Kamala Harris’ Madison visit Friday, vocalizing their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris administration's handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.
The night before Harris’ visit, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine put out a call on social media, calling it their “responsibility to amplify the voices of the Palestinian people and their demands wherever those responsible are present.” The post called for an arms embargo, the end of military funding to Israel and “the liberation of Palestine.”
The protest was scheduled for 2 p.m. at the corner of John Nolen and Rimrock, right outside the Alliant Energy Center where Harris was set to speak. Due to Harris’ visit, John Nolen drive experienced a high volume of traffic and by the scheduled start date, the field was mostly empty.
By 2:30 p.m., about 12 people had gathered, and by 5 p.m., approximately 26 protesters had gathered, many of whom were not official members of SJP. While SJP was the organizing body, turnout consisted largely of individuals motivated by the social media call to action rather than official members of the group. Some attendees expressed disappointment that SJP members themselves did not show up in greater numbers to support the protest.
Mazin, one of the demonstrators, expressed his frustration with the political climate.
“We aren’t okay with the lack of action that we are seeing,” Mazin said, adding the demonstration was a reminder to people driving by to “not stop talking about Palestine.”
One protester, who wished to remain anonymous, criticized the U.S. government's funding to Israel in the light of massive Palestinian civilian deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis.
“Every day there are children dying, and they keep sending money with no conditions,” the protester said, calling it “tax dollars [going] to genocide.”
The protest shifted to broader expression of frustrations with political leadership and foreign policy. Many participants expressed a desire for accountability, feeling that elected officials often prioritize political gain over humanitarian concerns.
“[Kamala] seem[s] more focused on getting the pro-Israel vote and ignoring the uncommitted voters,” the protester said. “We’re here to let their campaign know that we’re not okay with the fact that they haven’t done anything.”
The demonstrators gathered attention from the public, with many passing cars honking in support and pedestrians stopping to engage in conversation.
About 4 counter-protesters arrived roughly an hour into the demonstration, criticizing Palestinian governance and pointing out a lack of LGBTQ+ rights in the region. One counter-protester shouted, “They kill gay people! Palestinians are not real!”
Despite the confrontations, police maintained a peaceful environment Officers interacted with demonstrators, asking if they needed anything and advising them on positioning for better visibility.
At 3:15 p.m., U.S. Secret Service agents requested the protesters move to a different location. In response, one demonstrator firmly declared, “We aren’t moving.”
“Awareness of the issue is crucial,” Mazin reiterated. “It’s different to be ignorant than to choose to know. Hopefully, we can change minds or spark conversations to create visibility.”
