The Sacramento State Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association united as they protested at the Library Quad on Tuesday, May 3.

The Students for Justice in Palestine and the Muslim Student Association’s intention behind the protest was to bring awareness to bystanders on the battle that is currently happening in the Syrian city Aleppo, as well as the country as a whole.

Sedena Salčin, vice president of Students for Justice in Palestine, said it is important for students to understand what is happening in Aleppo, because in order to decrease ignorance in society they must acknowledge the gravity of the issue.

“The situation in Aleppo is dire, and the whole city may soon come under siege. We need the world to watch, so we can come together to create a committed plan to save the people of Syria,” Salčin said. “We need to show that they are not collateral damage but fellow human beings, human beings who are going through agony, and the international arena is doing little to nothing to save them.”

Salčin said students and faculty interested in fighting against the battle in Aleppo can do so much by becoming a voice on online campaigns supporting the end for the devastation happening in Syria.

“We realize that we don’t have much might from where we are at, but doing something as small as joining/following social media campaigns in solidarity with Syria has a great effect,” Salčin said.

Amir Terovic, junior electrical engineer major, said whether people agree or not with Syria’s current battle, the main case of importance is that there are people dying, and this issue should be noted.

Terovic said unfortunately not everyone shares the same concern of the gravity of the issue.

“A lot of countries ignore [the situation in Syria] because it’s not good news. It’s not something most people care about to make news because it’s second- and third-world issues,” Terovic said.

Aya Khalifeh, president of Students for Justice in Palestine, believes people should become educated about issues happening in the Middle East by engaging with people who are from there.

Khalifeh said it would allow individuals to gain a different perspective from the one that they may see in the media, because those who are actually from the Middle East can provide a first hand perspective on current issues.

“It’s important to bring awareness, because not a lot is portrayed in the media about this issue as it should be,” Khalifeh said.