Aggies Against Apartheid Prepares for Pro-Palestine Protest at Rudder Plaza

In an announcement made on its Instagram page, ‘Aggies Against Apartheid’, an unofficial student-led group based at Texas A&M, has confirmed plans to host a pro-Palestine protest at Rudder Plaza on August 26. The forthcoming demonstration will kick off at 4:30 p.m. with sign-making, followed by a march at 5:30 p.m.

Setting Objectives for the Protest

As per the details mentioned in the Instagram post, the protest aims to compel the A&M System to disclose all its investments fully. It also pushes for divestment from companies and other assets contributing to apartheid and genocide in Palestine. Moreover, the organizers demand the implementation of ethical and sustainable policies to ensure that Texas A&M University doesn’t inadvertently become complicit in these issues in future.

Potential Issues and Advice for Attendees

The groups suggest that participants secure their privacy by disabling facial and fingerprint recognition on their phones, wearing plain clothing and surgical masks, and hiding identifiable tattoos or markings. Attendees were also advised to put their social media accounts on private and remove personal information from the A&M directory to prevent potential harassment.

The protesters are encouraged to maintain respectful behaviour and refrain from engaging with counter-protesters, the media, or law enforcement officers. “If arrests do occur — which is unlikely — do not resist,” the post stated.

Previous Demonstrations

Aggies Against Apartheid previously organized two demonstrations, on April 29 and May 7, around similar demands. These gatherings were conducted peacefully and lasted several hours each.

Route for the March

The march scheduled at 5:30 p.m. will commence at Rudder Plaza and will continue towards several iconic locations on the campus, such as the Academic Plaza, Evans Library, and the Zachry Engineering Education Complex, among others.