Demonstrators organize outside of HELIX building

Students for Justice in Palestine and NJ Build Up Resistance Now held a protest at the Helix Hub in downtown New Brunswick, with support from Rutgers students, on Tuesday, which was also the first day of classes.

There, in the pouring rain, they protested the Helix Hub over its ties to Tel Aviv University, the displacement of New Brunswick residents to build the Hub, and, according to one of the anonymous speakers, the use of money to “build commodities for wealthy people.”

CJ, the organizer of the event with NJ Build Up Resistance Now (NJ BURN), an organization based in New Brunswick, spoke about the background of their protest against the Helix Hub and its effects on New Brunswick residents.

“We especially want to draw attention to how this project has been displacing a lot of locals as well, in very violent ways,” CJ said. They go on to say the extent to which the displacement has gone and other issues, saying that “we’ve heard that hundreds of public housing units have been demolished. People have been killed by the police. It’s just, like, a lot is going on. And it’s all escalating as this building gets built and as it gets closer to opening all the way. So, we just want to make a big showing on the first day of school.”

A Rutgers student in the protest gave some insight into how he felt about the current climate as a Jewish Student at Rutgers and his stance on the University’s current climate.

“I’m not really surprised that Rutgers is doing something like this,” he said. “It’s kind of just like ridiculous and like, they don’t really care. They don’t really care about us at all. They don’t care about the people. All they care about is getting money.”

Persisting through the rain, the protesters utilized different chants about Tel Aviv University and its relation to the Helix. “Tel Aviv out of Helix, we don’t want it we don’t need it,” “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” were chants used by protestors. Protestors also carried signs saying “from NJ to Palestine No Displacement on Taxpayer’s Dime.”

Protesters earned support from passers by, with cars honking as they drove past.

Story by Hailey Edwards