AMHERST — In demanding that University of Massachusetts leadership condemn Israel’s recent military actions in the Middle East and cut campus ties with companies that support the defense industry, several hundred students Wednesday afternoon were prepared to remain in the Whitmore Administration Building, either until their demands were met or they were arrested.

“All I strive to do with my life is free Palestine,” said Ruya Hazeyen, a UMass senior, a Palestinian and a member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, as she participated in a walkout and sit-in organized by UMass Dissenters that drew about 400 protesters. “None of us are free until all of us are free.”

Hazeyen said UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes needs to respond to the hundreds of students who came out for the demonstration.

“We hope that he will listen to us and not see us as against him,” Hazeyen said, observing that everyone should be on the side against genocide and opposing war crimes such as bombing hospitals. “That should be something that’s not controversial.”

“We’re going to sit in there until our demands are met,” added junior Toby Paperno, a member of the UMass Dissenters who contends UMass is funding genocide, including supporting military corporations such as Raytheon.

As they entered Whitmore about 90 minutes after the protest began, and 90 minutes before the building would close for the day at 5 p.m., the students delivered their message directly to Michael Malone, the provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

“We demand UMass cut all ties, financial and physical (recruiting, partnerships, etc), with weapons manufacturers like Raytheon, and replace them with jobs working towards a sustainable and demilitarized future,” reads the first part of their demands.

The second part states, “We demand UMass condemn the Israeli massacre of Palestinians and condemn the blockade on Gaza.”

UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski said shortly after 4 p.m. that with the protest still ongoing, the university didn’t have an immediate response.

The walkout from classes, coinciding with others on college campuses across the United States, began in front of the Student Union, where participants were advised not to speak to media covering the event, with reporters directed to designated representatives. The marchers then proceeded through the campus to Whitmore, with those in front holding a large banner reading “UMass is complicit in genocide, cut ties to Raytheon” and chanting, “Long live Palestine and “Cease-fire now.” Others held Palestinian flags and cardboard signs.

The UMass Dissenters were joined by the UMass Arab Cultural Association, UMass Black Student Union, UMass Center for Education Policy and Advocacy, UMass Prison Abolition Collective and UMass Students for Justice in Palestine.

At Whitmore, there were several speeches, mostly delivered anonymously, describing Gaza and conditions from what they argue is an illegal Israeli occupation, rightful anger by refugees over their circumstances, and descriptions of what amounts to a concentration camp there. One student covered his entire head and face out of fear of being “doxxed” by those who disagree.

Students who spoke publicly talked about the need to remove Raytheon and other similar companies from campus.

“A multibillion-dollar corporation that creates weapons to kill people has no place on my college campus,” said Arsema Kifle, a UMass junior. “UMass cannot be complicit in the global cycle of endless war and death.”

As a Jewish person who has family in Israel, Paperno said the world is witnessing a massacre of Palestinians, and that UMass is complicit in not speaking out, and he firmly believes that there is no neutrality possible.

“Israel is literally claiming to do this for the Jewish people,” Paperno said. “They don’t represent me.”

Paperno said Raytheon is one of the top employers for graduating UMass students and continues to subsidize scholarships. He would prefer UMass focus on a humanitarian mission rather than what he described as militarization of its education. “The corporation lobbies for war and more war,” Paperno said.

The last two weeks have been the saddest Paperno said he’s been since at UMass, an experience he’s having because of the hostilities that were touched off when Hamas militants stormed into Israel just over two weeks ago, slaughtering more than 1,000 civilians and taking hostages.

Hazeyen, too, said she’s been unable to do schoolwork. “The only thing that got me out of that rut was organizing this,” she said.

There is confidence that this action will make a difference. “Even though it’s been harrowing, I believe we’ll make change,” Hazeyen said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.