Alongside the vigil was the launch of the National Divestment Campaign. The campaign is operating under three organizations: National Students for Justice in Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement and Dissenters.

Sentiments of anger and grief stemming from the war were palpable throughout the crowd that gathered on Trousdale Parkway. For most of the vigil, the crowd stood in silence while various songs centered on Palestinian liberation rang into the air. Amid the silence, event organizers passed around printed flyers to members of the crowd, each highlighting the stories of victims in the ongoing war. 

Occasionally, members of the crowd made their way to the vigil’s center — extending the wreath of flowers bordering the Palestinian flag by contributing their own bouquet. 

The crowd turned their attention to various speakers — whose speeches spread messages demanding liberation, condemning hatred and calling for action — while joining in on chants that reverberated across Trousdale.

“We will honor all our martyrs, all our children, sons and daughters. We will honor all our martyrs, all our parents, mothers, fathers. We will honor all our martyrs, all our nurses, medics, doctors,” the crowd chanted at one point. 

In an interview with the Daily Trojan, a senior who helped organize the vigil spoke on the importance such events hold in creating a space for grieving students while mobilizing action. The senior requested anonymity due to concerns regarding their safety.

“We wanted to create a space for collective grieving because we know that a lot of people feel the grief as an isolated, individualized burden. We want to make sure people feel safe and can grieve together collectively, and share that space to feel the emotions together, which is why we also wanted to honor all of the martyrs in Palestine,” they said.

They also condemned the University for being complicit in the violence enabling Israel’s occupation of Gaza. 

“We know that USC is very complicit in violence, both in South Central but also abroad, in their commitment to defense companies such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman,” they said. “Because of this interconnected struggle that we all experience and we all see with our own eyes, we want people to mobilize their own feelings and actions into tangible change.”