Anti-war group World Beyond War marched down Willy St. calling for the divestment and disarmament of Israel as a part of the Willy St. Parade on Sept 21.
Amidst groups of dancers and floats calling for ecological harmony, a group of nearly 200 protesters marched to an audience of over 1,000 during the annual Willy St. Fair. Splitting off into a dedicated group of 26 members, protestors walked around Lake Mendota to spread their message of peace.
Jannet Peterson, who leads World Beyond War’s Madison chapter, said the group’s main goal was to “abolish war” and push the University of Wisconsin System to “divest from all weapons manufacturing.”
The group’s march was part of a global movement created by World Beyond War, an international organization with chapters campaigning against issues like war profiteering, police militarization and starvation.
“We think that the enemy is not the other side,” Peterson said. “The enemy is war. We think that all war should be abolished.”
While the organization advocates on a variety of global conflicts, the march on Willy St. was primarily concerned with Israel’s war in Gaza.
“People tend to look away and say ‘It’s too far away, I'm not responsible for that,’ and yet it's our tax dollars that have enabled Israel to conduct this war,” Jewish Voice for Peace member Sharon Lesberg said. “So we’re marching today to keep the pressure up and to keep people’s attention on the U.S. involvement in this issue.”
Many protesters expressed concern over UW-Madison’s involvement in the arming of Israel, with skepticism over the university's spending and sources of funding.
The UW System has investments in a BlackRock index fund with some ties to weapons manufacturing. In the past, the University has also hosted weapons manufacturing companies linked to Israel at career fairs.
“We shouldn’t be sending our money to help Israel commit a genocide when we don’t have enough money to fund our own research and our own facilities,” UW-Madison student Clayton Green said.
UW-Madison student Ash, who was upset about weapons manufacturers on campus, said the push for change must begin locally. “Divestment at a local level” is key, Ash said.
Some protestors also criticized UW-Madison’s free speech policies, arguing they limit opportunities for activism.
“It's been difficult to have spaces where people can do this [on campus],” Nick Jacobson, UW-Madison faculty member said. “So I'm just hoping that there's a willingness to allow for a space for people to demonstrate and make their opinions known.”
Spectators largely welcomed the protestors’ presence in the parade, with parade-goers cheering, honking or otherwise making noise in solidarity.
Ph.D. student Carla Rattunde was excited to be involved in the parade, calling it a “celebration of being active together.”
“Having the community get to see our faces and join in the chants is a wonderful way to connect with other people,” Rattunde said. “Getting to transform those confused, raged, fearful emotions into something greater.”
