Dozens of people marched from the Christian Science Plaza to the Cabot Center Oct. 9 in protest of Northeastern’s all-day career fair, which featured several companies that manufacture military equipment and supply it to Israel. 

The rally, organized by unofficial student group Huskies for a Free Palestine, or HFP, started at the plaza at 1:30 p.m. The protest took place amid a week of planned pro-Palestine demonstrations commemorating the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war. Since last year, Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza have killed almost 42,000 people, including more than 16,000 children. 

“We would like to see Northeastern stop its partnerships with these companies until they agree to no longer send weapons to Israel as it undertakes a genocide in Gaza,” said Brian Garvey, rally attendee and executive director at Massachusetts Peace Action.

Demonstrators protested on the sidewalk of the Christian Science Plaza for about 10 minutes before continuing their march down Huntington Avenue. Before the group, composed of Northeastern students, professors and unaffiliated individuals, began their march to the career fair, Christian Science Plaza security told demonstrators to move off the portion of the sidewalk owned by the plaza and onto the public sidewalk beside it.

About 20 officers with State Police, Boston police and the Northeastern University Police Department were present at the plaza before protesters arrived. Officers on bikes accompanied protesters as they made their way down Huntington Avenue, blocking traffic and intersections when the group crossed the street. 

Rally attendees began to march toward the Cabot Center, where the career fair was taking place indoors, at about 1:50 p.m.The fair included employers like RTX, formerly Raytheon, Textron Systems, Draper, General Dynamics, MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MKS Instruments. The companies develop electronic, aerospace and defense technologies for the U.S. military and international customers including Israel.

Marty Blatt, an emeritus professor of the practice of public history and previous member of the University Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Committee, said he came to the rally after learning about its focus, which he said was “to protect against companies engaged in the military-industrial complex.”

“My mother is from Heidelberg Germany — a lot of our family was killed by the Nazis. I know something about antisemitism,” Blatt said. “These are peaceful protests, we’re not just talking about justice for Palestinians, but life.”

“Hey NU, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” the group chanted as they moved down Huntington Avenue, along with various other chants. Northeastern University Police Department officers set up a barricade at the entrance to Cabot Center and Krentzman Quad in preparation for the rally. Metal barriers prevented demonstrators from getting closer to Cabot Center than the public sidewalk allowed as the group approached campus. 

One rally speaker who declined to identify himself to The News thanked attendees for participating in the rally.

“Every time you strike against Raytheon and the merchants of death here at Northeastern, you’re helping us in that fight,” he said to the crowd. “You are helping cause one small blow to this colonial entity of Zionism.”

Phineas Wormser, a third-year computer science major who took part in the pro-Palestine encampment in April, attended the career fair while rally attendees chanted outside. 

“I think it’s pretty awful that we allow Raytheon and General Dynamics [here],” Wormser said in an interview with The News. “I think that’s pretty abhorrent.”  

A few feet away, students in line for the career fair looked on as protesters shouted “shame.” 

Garvey said that he was participating in the protest with the hope that Northeastern will cease its partnerships with companies that manufacture weapons that are used for Israel’s war effort.

“I’m here to inform students and prospective employees for those companies about that fact,” Garvey said. “These companies are not advertising the fact that they have a role and that they are profiting from the ongoing war on Gaza.”

Rather than work with companies that manufacture weapons, Garvey said that Northeastern should connect students with companies that develop infrastructure.

“Instead, I would like to see engineers building new infrastructure, green infrastructure, things that are going to help the environment, things that are gonna improve the public transportation in Boston and not fund a continued war that could drag the United States in,” Garvey said.

In February, Northeastern indicated in the “Safe Campuses, Civil Discourse: Frequently Asked Questions” article published by university-run media outlet Northeastern Global News that it would not sever ties with companies that supply weapons to Israel. 

“The university does not impose a political test on employers, nor would we support efforts to curtail students’ experiential learning options,” the statement read. “We would hope that students who have strong political viewpoints would not try to impose their views in a way that limited opportunities for their classmates.”

As protesters chanted and listened to various speakers, they waved signs reading, “End United States’ Imperialism,” “No Harris, No Trump, Build a New Anti-War Party” and “No Justice, No Peace.”

Many protesters wore masks and other face coverings during the march. Northeastern updated its Code of Conduct demonstration policies this semester, including provisions that allow administrators to ask protesters to take their masks off for identification. 

The protesters walked back down Huntington Avenue at 2:55 p.m., chanting as they returned to the Christian Science Plaza. 

As they marched down the street, a pro-Israel counter-protester not affiliated with Northeastern chanted back “Free Israel” at the protesters. Some of the protesters raised their middle fingers at the man as the group continued its own chants. 

Right before the staircase to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, another bystander joined the march. Every time the onlooker said “Free Israel,” a rally attendee said “Fuck Israel,” in response. 

At the crosswalk from Symphony Hall to the Christian Science Plaza, the pro-Israel man left and the rally attendees continued to chant. The organizer who held the megaphone encouraged the crowd to disperse and go home with other attendees for safety. 

“NEU you can’t hide,” the group chanted. “We charge you with genocide.”