Following the viral video showing a conflict between supporters of Israel and Palestine on campus between students Sofina Salvatore and Arzo Mohammad, Mohammad organized a protest in support of Palestine on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Mohammad was sent a personal email from the president of the college on Oct. 17 including guidelines regarding her protest. The email did not state that she could not be on campus. However, Campus Security was sent to search for her by the president of the college and sent her to the president’s office for a meeting, silencing her.
In the area of the protest, Salvatore was present as well. She was seen holding the same Israeli flag that she waved in the video.
Both students were proactively working to represent their views on the current 2023 Israel-Hamas war which started on Oct. 7, 2023, along with the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Regarding the comments she said in the video towards Salvatore, Mohammad said, “I was sitting in my car before coming to class. I was watching the videos of kids being slaughtered. I was crying. I was distraught. I walked out of my car to walk to class, and I see somebody waving that same flag that represents those kids being slaughtered.”
“And she said, ‘You’re the one who’s committing genocide. You are the terrorist here. You are the terrorist.’ How am I the terrorist? Anti-Zionism is not Antisemitism, and I stated that in the video as well,” Mohammad said recalling the incident.
Mohammad’s sister claims that Salvatore had edited the video, cutting out how Salvatore had allegedly yelled at Mohammad as she walked by.
However, Salvatore stated that she and her friends were simply holding the flag when Arzo Mohammad approached her.
“We weren’t saying anything directly to anybody,” Salvatore said. “She just approached us to start flipping up off and saying that we’re Jewish Nazis, that we’re supporting genocide and basically that I’m a Jewish whore and stuff like that, which is the English translation for Yahudi Sharmouta.”
Salvatore said she directly sent her video to @StopAntisemitism social media account.
“I did not personally post it on my account as I am trying not to post anything political right now, because I don’t want people to come attack me or my friends,” Salvatore stated. “I’m trying to post for peace right now, but I sent it to the page saying that I believe that this should be seen. I think it’s important, because I’ve been seeing a lot of violence on campus.”
LPC President Dyrell Foster released two statements about freedom of expression on campus following the statement he made prior about Friday’s incident. In the second one, he said, “It is our hope that all members of our campus community and visitors to our campus consider carefully the use of words that may harm others. We recognize that by protecting freedom of expression it may appear that the college is not honoring our commitment to providing a safe, inclusive environment. However, legal protections for free expression may sometimes supersede our college values of civility and mutual respect.
“We also recognize that some speech or printed materials may be particularly offensive or painful to individuals, especially those who have been historically marginalized,” Foster’s statement read. “On these occasions, members of the campus community may choose to not engage or to respond by openly contesting ideas they oppose. Freedom of expression also includes the freedom to engage in non-disruptive counter-speech or protest.”
Foster also said, “Our commitment to freedom of expression does not mean that our college must itself remain neutral to ideas or beliefs expressed.”
However, Mohammad claims that Foster’s actions do not reflect his words. She said she was asked to see him for a meeting, which caused her removal from her post at the protest.
Some social media accounts have reported Mohammad is no longer a student at LPC. However, both Mohammad and Salvatore have said they are still enrolled.
James Sevilla is a staff writer for The Express. Follow him on X, formally Twitter, @JamesTSev.
