Three speakers, under the time slot allotted to a latino-advocacy group, gave speeches about oppressive nations, including Israel, in front of Jewish club booth, according to De Anza students and other witnesses.
Anthony Choice, of the De Anza Movimiento Estudantil Chicano de Atzlan (MEChA), voiced his opinion about the oppression imposed by four countries: the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. The speech was given on Thursday, Oct. 20, on Club Day, where different clubs on campus were allowed time and space to present and promote their clubs. One of the clubs present was Jews, Israelis, and Friends (JIF), who had a sukkah set up in celebration of a Jewsih Holiday, were positioned in close proximity to the speakers, and some witnesses felt the speech may have been directed to their booth and that the speakers were aware of the booth and JIF.
Club Day is put on by Inter-Club Council (ICC) as a day for clubs to present themselves and use time on the mic to speak to the students. ICC mediates the clubs and on Club Day, introduced the speakers and orchestrated the event. MEChA is a regional organization, with clubs on many campuses, including San Jose State, that organizes to help rasie money for latino children, among other activities. Acoording to several witnesses present at the event, a man with dreadlocks, later identified as Anthony Choice of MEChA, used the latino-advocacy club's time allotment to give a specch about oppressive nations. He named, in order, the U. S., Israel, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, say witnesses. The speech was given in front of the JIF booth, among others. The booth featured a sukkah made of several pieces of wood, with a large Israeli flag painted on two sides.
The other two speakers were described as wearing a black power T-shirt and a tradtitional Muslim garb, possibly Egyptian. Witnesses also say that the event's moderator, a female student high up in the ICC, thanked the speakers by name. One witness says that she called one "brother."
JIF students did not react publicly to the speech, but people at the booth report that they were confused about why the speakers were there, because one or two of the men were from San Jose State. One Jewish student, and potential JIF member, said the speakers spoke about wanting peace in a preaching manner, but raised their voices and increased hand gestures when they spoke about oppression. Some JIF members wanted to issue a rebuttal, but decided not to, to "be civil." Another De Anza student and active JIF member, Ryan Medeiros, said the group did not stand up and say anything because he felt it would have shown that they were insulted, which is what the speakers wanted.
"There was a lot of emotion going on," said Anna Kirshon, a De Anza JIF member. Kirshon said she wasn't offended as far as politics go, but could see how others might be. "To me, their tone sounded offensive." Rebecca Reice, a staff member at Hillel of Silicon Valley, said she does not believe that the issue involves the Muslim Student Association (MSA).
One student did speak in response to the oppression speakers, given time at the end of the MSA's time slot. Jeremy Zimmer, a New College student, was at Club Day gaining membership for a club called Students for Justice (SFJ). Zimmer, a Jewish student, but not affiliated with any campus Jewish organization, spoke to the crowd, saying that not all Israelis are supportive of what the government does. Zimmer said later that he felt compelled to speak in response to Choice because he felt the issues are more complicated than presented. He said the situation in each of these four places is different and that the distinction is important. He said the information was not being used in a productive way. Zimmer aims to create a peace coalition with SFJ to open discussions between conflicting groups, where groups should listen to all views before telling others how to feel or act in order to create an understanding that not everyone will agree but they must have mutual respect in order to open communication. He said that fifteen seconds of ranting will cause the entire system to fail.
ICC chair, Sarah Joy Callahan, De Anza MSA president, and a San Jose MSA member, did not respond to e-mail and phone inquiries. Anthony Choice could not be contacted for comment.
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