Student Voices for Palestine (SVP) hosted a ‘No to War’ demonstration on Monday to protest U.S. and Israeli-backed military interventions abroad, including in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. In a statement to The Observer, director of demonstrations senior Linnea Barron, who also helped organize the protest, shared their intent, citing the University’s cooperation with prominent defense manufacturers.
“As a community grounded in Notre Dame’s core values of human dignity, solidarity and a steadfast commitment to the common good, we are called not only to reflect on injustice, but to respond to it with courage and clarity,” Barron wrote. “These principles demand more than words. They demand accountability. They compel us to ask whether our institution’s actions truly reflect the values it professes to uphold.”
The group added their organization is called to urge the University to stop supporting major defense manufacturing corporations.
“We therefore renew, with urgency and resolve, our call for the University to divest from weapons manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, RTX, Boeing and others whose operations are tied to the perpetuation of war and militarization,” Barron stated.
Students began gathering for the demonstration at 6:15 p.m. outside the Main Building, with 30 protesters in attendance. A statement from the University confirmed that the protest was “properly registered with the Student Activities Office in accordance with existing policy.”
Beginning with chants, Saint Mary’s College graduate student Ally Krause initiated the chant, “The students, united, will never be divided.”
“No more innocent blood for oil, U.S. off Iranian soil. Palestine, Palestine, don’t you cry, Palestine will never die,” Krause continued.
Several protestors carried signs reading various slogans, such as “Hands off Iran,” and “We’re a Catholic University funded by blood money.” With several onlookers watching, Krause chanted catchphrases on a megaphone urging the University to cut ties with defense contractors. The crowd responded with further chanting.
“Notre Dame, you can’t hide, you are funding genocide,” they shouted. “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA,” they continued.
Other slogans chanted by the crowd condemned Notre Dame’s partnership with defense company RTX last April and called on the University to “disclose and divest.” Protesters also urged President Donald Trump’s administration to end the war in Iran, along with opposing broader issues such as American intervention in Venezuela and the continuation of Trump’s border wall.
Following the initial chants, senior James Thompson, president of SVP, spoke to the crowd.
“I want to thank everyone for coming. We’re here to inform all in divesting from war at Our Lady’s University, and [in] the wake of almost three years of genocide against the Palestinian people, in the wake of endless wars proliferated by the United States in Israel, among others,” Thompson said.
Thompson called on the University to end their “shameful alliances with companies that not only profited but proliferated the war.”
Mentions of research projects with the University and companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon were met with screams of the word, “shame” and boos by the crowd.
Thompson concluded his remarks, calling it the obligation of the people to stand against the war and stand in solidarity as members of the Christian community with those, “whose lives have been damaged by the technology developed at this University and others.”
Chanting and calling to, “Stop the U.S. war machine,” continued until Spencer French, a doctoral student, began speaking with a mention of the students arrested at a pro-Palestine Protest in 2024.
French recited Aracelis Girmay’s poem “Arroz Poetica,” as well as Langston Hughes’ famous poem, “Tired.” Further chants continued until the demonstration wrapped up around 7:25 p.m., with protestors gathering for pictures in front of the Main Building.
Barron urged demonstrators “to leave with a buddy” and stay aware of those around them as they dispersed.
“As students, we just want to come together and say we don’t approve of this,” Barron said regarding the protest. “We believe this goes against the Catholic teaching and the teaching of Notre Dame that we should be a force for good in this world.”
