On Tuesday, October 8th, Owls 4 Palestine along with the Black Student Union, Los Jaguares, and Puente Club hosted a “Community Circle for Palestine, Lebanon, and Marcellus Williams” in the Cesar Chavez Plaza on campus.

Details on the event from the clubs’ Instagram explained, “We are honoring Marcellus Williams, who was wrongfully executed, and the martyrs of the Palestinian genocide, in Palestine, Lebanon, and the global south. We seek to create a safe space where we can support each other after witnessing the racism, xenophobia, and hatred against the Black, Muslim, and Arab populations. Come join us in building a community that rejects all forms of American Imperialism.”

The event began with an introduction from a student, describing the circle’s purpose to honor and uphold the sanctity of human life. They also spoke on the idea of passively loving one’s culture while not acting on that love and protection negates that passion, as well as anyone being “free to change” and “free from shame.”

Another student then read a poem titled “The perplexing smiles from the children of Palestine” by Marcellus Williams.

Marcellus Williams was executed by the state of Missouri last month despite prosecutors, the victim’s family, and the public alike calling to spare his life after his 2001 conviction for the murder of former newspaper reporter Felicia Gayle in 1998.

There was a great deal of appreciation from the representatives of the organizing groups, with students calling attention to the support even with “the systems of power being against [them].”

The event concluded with an invitation to place flowers and demonstrate with chalk in the Cesar Chavez Plaza, a space which the Foothill Administration had designated as a “Free Speech Area” on campus.

You can keep up with future events put on by Owls 4 Palestine, Black Student Union, Los Jaguares, and Puente Club via their Instagrams; @owls4palestine, @fhblackstudentunion, @losjaguaresfoothill, and @fh.puente.