University of Waterloo Voices for Palestine (UWVFP) held an exhibition titled “Marking Three Years: Genocide and Resistance” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 7, marking three years since the escalation of violence in Gaza and ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

“We hope that people take away that the genocide has not ended. We hope they understand what’s currently happening on the ground in Gaza, and the fact that the urgency to organize and come out for Palestine is just as high as it was a year ago [and] two years ago,” a spokesperson from UWVFP shared.

The exhibition featured interactive displays with information on current conditions in Gaza, a memorial to those killed, and a timeline of actions by UW and other institutions over the past three years in response to the genocide. Separate sections were dedicated to different areas of society and demographics impacted by the events.

The healthcare display focused on the targeted destruction of healthcare infrastructure and personnel in Gaza, which, UWVFP emphasized, made it more difficult for injured people and people with disabilities to access care. The impact of the conflict on universities and schools in Gaza and the importance of education to Palestinians was also highlighted. The section on Palestinian political prisoners focused on the conditions they experience in Israeli prisons and their continued organizing and resistance. Journalists were another focus of the exhibition, as UWVFP shared that members of the press in Gaza have played an important role in documenting the conflict and that attacks on journalists have affected the information able to reach people outside Gaza.

A circle of chairs with copies of “The New York War Crimes” in the exhibit. (Photo credit: Angela Li)

One interactive display featured laptops where attendees could hear firsthand accounts from and  about Palestinian journalists through an oral history archive, created by the group Writers Against the War on Gaza. The group wanted attendees to understand why there may be less coverage and footage coming out of Gaza compared with earlier periods of the conflict.

The exhibition also examined what UWVFP described as local connections to the conflict. It pointed to UW’s investments and institutional relationships, as well as Canada’s relationship with Israel, as connections the group believes students should be aware of.

UWVFP also stated that the exhibition was intended to encourage students to consider how institutions and individuals in Waterloo Region are connected to the conflict.

“We hope they also understand the interconnected systems that make it possible for this genocide to happen. It’s so beyond horrific for us to just be sitting by idly while we see this happen to our people or to anyone,” UWVFP said.