WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A group of students made their voices heard during a pro-Palestinian protest on the main campus of Florida International University. The rally comes as the state makes a controversial move at universities and colleges across Florida, after a pro-Palestinian student group was ordered out of all public campuses.

Students for Justice in Palestine hosted Wednesday’s rally on FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus on Wednesday.

“Free, free, free Palestine!” demonstrators were seen chanting in cellphone video of the event.

The rally was part of a national student walkout campaign to support an “end [to] the siege on Gaza” and the U.S. providing funding and arms to Israel.

The rally comes a day after the state university system decided that group is no longer welcome. A letter sent to public universities on Tuesday reads, “Based on the National SJP’s support for terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated.”

While there was a rally held at FIU on Wednesday, a spokesperson told 7News that SJP is not officially registered there. But the University of South Florida had an active chapter, and on Oct. 8, the group made the following post on Instagram, which reads as follows, “The western media will continue to portray this as ‘terrorism’… but this is a response to 70 years of ongoing occupation, ethic cleansing, genocide and apartheid.”

Days later, the National SJP organization called for a “Day of Resistance.” SJP chapters on college campuses across the country held a student walkout.

The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League responded to that event with the following, “Let’s be clear, SJP chapters are supporting and praising Hamas terrorism. By encouraging ‘resistance’ by ‘any means necessary, they’re actively promoting a threatening environment for Jewish students on campuses across the country. This is unacceptable, dangerous and despicable.”

Now the state is shutting down the remaining SJP chapters in Florida schools and are promising to “crack down on campus demonstrations that delve beyond protected first amendment speech and into harmful support for terrorist groups.”

The rally at FIU was one of about 100 that were held on university campuses around the nation.

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