The crowd blocked traffic for over an hour, surrounding a cop car and refusing to leave the street after two people were arrested. Chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Let them go,” the demonstrators eventually “de-arrested” the two activists, who were released without charges.
Several Palestine solidarity workshops and meetings were part of the conference. An impromptu meeting about the Columbia University occupation included graduate student members of United Auto Workers Local 7902, some of whom were among those arrested at Columbia. Many conference attendees wore keffiyehs in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.