Special Report: Interviews with Pro-Israeli and Pro-Palestinian Protesters

By Gregory Caesar, William Kimani, Nolan Shaffer, Emma Janssen, Celeste Alcalay, Erica Cai, and Jake Zucker

November 10, 2023

The following is a series of audios recorded on the main quad of the University of Chicago on Thursday, October 19, 2023. It features interviews with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli community members demonstrating at around 12 p.m. It also features an interview with Maroon News reporter Emma Janssen recorded on November 9, who attended and reported on the rallies.

The rally was organized by a collection of UChicago Jewish organizations, including Law Students for Israel, the Jewish Business Student Association, and UChicago Maroons for Israel, who scheduled the rally with the University from noon to 1 p.m. at the center of the quad to express support for Israel following the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas. This rally came as Students for Justice in Palestine continued its daily occupation of the quad from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which began on Monday, October 16.

The audio is mostly unedited, with some segments omitted for brevity’s sake.

Interviews were conducted by reporters from The Maroon’s Podcasts division, who strived to remain impartial and provide an unbiased record of the events of that day.

Some listeners may find the recordings offensive due to antisemitic and Islamophobic language.

Hosted by: Gregory Caesar

Featuring: William Kimani, Nolan Shaffer, Emma Janssen, Jake Zucker, and Celeste Alcalay

Edited by: Gregory Caesar and Erica Cai

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About the Contributors

Gregory Caesar, Head Podcasts Editor, Senior Copy Editor

Gregory is a third-year in the College from New York. Since becoming head editor for Podcasts in 2022, he has led the branch through several milestones, including The Maroon Weekly's 100th episode, a crossover podcast with Northwestern, and live recordings at The Study Hotel at the University of Chicago. This year, he is committed to reimagining the section’s utility within The Maroon by diversifying its content, collaborating with other sections, and expanding its reach to better amplify campus and community voices. Outside of Podcasts, he has served as a senior copy editor since spring 2021.

Nolan Shaffer, Arts Editor

Nolan Shaffer, Class of 2026, has been writing and editing for the Maroon since his second year. He studies Fundamentals and Computer Science and is passionate about humanities, arts, and tech. He's interested in stimulating conversations about all things arts and culture on campus. Outside of the Maroon, he's president of the UChicago Alt Protein Project.

Emma Janssen, Deputy News Editor

Emma Janssen is a deputy news editor.

Celeste Alcalay, Deputy Grey City Editor, News Reporter

Celeste Alcalay is a student in the College from Brookline, Massachusetts, planning on studying Cognitive Science. Her favorite journalistic activity is meeting people in pursuit of a story. She writes mainly for Grey City, occasionally dabbling in other sections, and co-hosts the podcast, So, What Brings You Here?. She enjoys watching film noirs, cajoling her friends into teaching her phrases in their native languages, and playing music. She also sings in UChicago’s jazz ensemble.

Jake Zucker, Head Podcasts Editor

Jake Zucker is a third-year in the College from Brookline, Massachusetts. Jake is a devoted fan of Mitski, the Boston Celtics, and long walks. He spent the summer working as a counselor at his old sleepaway camp, where he taught campers to play tennis, volleyball, and baseball, and once cosplayed as William Jennings Bryan. When on campus, you might find him in the basement of the Logan Center recording a podcast. Jake is committed to the podcast section’s mission of telling the stories of the expansive University community through conversation. Email him if you believe you have a story to tell!