To the surprise of many students, it was not yellow police tape congesting traffic by Bryan Hall yesterday, but the creation of a mock Israeli checkpoint - just one component of a day-long student protest against Israel's military actions.
The protest, which lasted from 9 a.m. until the late afternoon, was arranged by over 30 students who claimed to be independent of any organization on Grounds.
Planning of the protest began in March. Permission had been obtained by University officials prior to the event.
In addition to blocking entry to the Bryan Hall walkway, participants handed out flyers and staged scenes of Israeli brutality. Protesters near the Amphitheater depicted pregnant, dying and gagged women in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
"We did this to educate the U.Va. community about the conditions Palestinians live in," second-year College student Bsrat Mezghebe said.
Mezghebe emphasized that the protest did not advocate terrorism, but attempted to increase awareness of the issue.
"We're not condoning suicide bombing, but we have to understand what is pushing people to do these things," she said. "It's not violence for the sake of violence."
Fourth-year College student Anushay Hossain said that she felt the protest was effective by giving voice to a position often overlooked.
"I think with a complicated issue like this, you need to see both sides," Hossain said. "The protest gave a fresh perspective."
Although most students appeared to respect the holding of the protest, some Jewish members of the University community were offended by the event's inclusion of chalk drawings. One of these drawings, located at the entrance to Garrett Hall above the Amphitheater, depicted a Nazi swastika substituting the Star of David on Israel's flag.
Jake Rubin, president of the Virginia Israel Public Affairs Committee, said he is angered by the image, which he believes equates Zionism with racism.
"I feel that the comparison is incredibly offensive and blatantly untrue," Rubin said. "No group in Israel is attempting to target Palestinians with the purpose of wiping them out."
Third-year Commerce student David Zawitz, a Hillel member, said that although he respects the right of students to protest, the chalkings were inappropriate and hurtful.
"I don't have a problem with statements like 'End Israeli Occupation' and 'Zionism is Racism' even though I do not agree with them," Zawitz said. However, by "seeking to prove a political point with a symbol of the wholesale slaughter and extermination of six million of my ancestors, you lose all credibility with me."
Zawitz added that he hoped the University "will not tolerate such acts as hate under the thin veil of political protest."
"We're just trying to get people talking," Mezghebe said.
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