Pro-Palestinian protesters take over Edina school board meeting
EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) - After the district suspended two Muslim students, protesters staged a rally during Monday's meeting of the Edina school board.
At issue was the suspension of students for a chant that the district deemed offensive during a rally for Palestine last month. The chant, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," has been a controversial rally call, with some seeing it as advocating for the end of Israel. However, supporters of the two students feel their First Amendment rights were violated and the chant instead is calling for peace in Gaza.
Monday's meeting in Edina went into recess about 20 minutes after it started when protesters attempted to speak during public comment during a "Truth in Taxation" presentation.
When one speaker attempted to talk about the suspension, Edina board members declared the speaker out of order and put the meeting in recess.
It should be noted, that there was another planned public comment period on the agenda after the "Truth in Taxation" portion of the meeting. But, the meeting was put in recess before they got to it.
Protesters responded to the recess by starting a "From the river to the sea..." chant and staging a mini-rally in the meeting room. Among the people who spoke were the suspended students.
"The protest was a month ago but to this day, we're getting targeted," one of the students said. "Getting dirty looks from principals, teachers -- our teachers that were giving us dirty looks were sitting here tonight."
It was unclear when the Edina meeting might resume.
Why is the 'From the river to the sea' chant offensive?
In a news release on Monday, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas explained why the "From the river to the sea…" chant is regarded as antisemitic.
For context, the "river" referenced is the Jordan River, and the "sea" means the Mediterranean.
In an email on Monday, the JCRC explained:
"The divisive slogan ‘From the River to the sea, Palestine will be free’ runs contrary to our unifying vision of two states for two peoples. It is also antisemitic, for it denies Israel’s right to exist and is heard by many Jews as calling for the destruction of Israel, the world’s only Jewish state."
The JCRC also included a quote from the American Jewish Committee that explains: "There is of course nothing antisemitic about advocating for Palestinians to have their own state. However, calling for the elimination of the Jewish state, praising Hamas or other entities who call for Israel's destruction, or suggesting that the Jews alone do not have the right to self-determination, is antisemitic."