“Free Palestine! The military-industrial complex is complicit in genocide. All of you are complicit. Free Palestine!”
This was what protest co-organizer CJ Militello shouted as security dragged him out of the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) Sept. 16.
Militello was in the MAG as a part of the Finger Lakes’ Party For Socialism and Liberation’s (PSL) protest against the fourth Annual Congressman Morelle Defense & Government Forum and Matchmaker event after their petition to cancel the event was disregarded.
The event ran from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the majority of the protestors began to gather on the street outside the MAG at 4 p.m. with signs and megaphones.
“I’m here because the Memorial Art Gallery hosted an event,” Militello said. “It was called the Apex Accelerators Matchmaker Event designed to give small business manufacturers grants in order to connect them to the military-industrial supply chain.”
Prior to the official protest, Militello and fellow organizer Taylor Howard entered the ballroom where the event was held to try to make conference attendees pay attention but were removed by security.
“This is the third disruption that he and I have done where we basically just dress up and try to go into the event acting like we’re a part of it,” Howard said. “We want to try to make them think. Even if they don’t have a conscience, try to press them a little bit, the fact that they’re profiting off of the suffering of individuals.”
Although the MAG is a University-affiliated museum, this matchmaker event was not affiliated with the University other than through the representatives and researchers who attended.
“The Memorial Art Gallery serves as a site for various non-University events that are not connected to the museum through its rental office. This was one such event,” Director of Marketing and Engagement Melanie Fazio explained. “MAG respects everyone’s right to express their opinions.”
Although the event wasn’t explicitly affiliated with UR, the protestors argued that holding the event at all made them complicit in global conflicts.
“Our original goal was to get the event canceled [and] ask the Memorial Art Gallery to not be complicit, as art is supposed to be something of positivity,” Militello said. “The venue shouldn’t be used to draw money into a system that kills millions of people and pollutes the entire earth. That’s not really in line with the values of the MAG or the University of Rochester as far as what they say.”
Once it was clear that the event would proceed, PSL began advertising on Instagram for people to tell the MAG that “we do not want an economy dependent on arms manufacturing and military spending,” and that “art is creation, war is destruction.”
This government forum was organized in part by the Monroe County and Finger Lakes division of the APEX Accelerator program, which is managed by the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP).
“The APEX Accelerator program […] plays a role in the DoD’s efforts to identify and engage with a wide range of businesses entering and participating in the defense supply-chain [or] industrial base,” said University Spokesperson Sara Miller.
Although there might have been economic benefits for local small businesses, the protestors see it as their responsibility to inform everyone in the building of what exactly the military deals would be used for.
“20,000 children have been killed in Gaza because of deals and decisions that were made in this room,” Howard said. “Deals and decisions that are made today will cause more women and children to die globally. And I hope that at the end of their lives, they remember that and they feel that.”
