More than 50 people gathered outside the American Legion in Athens, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 3, to protest U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman’s keynote speech at the Athens County Democrats’ Fall Fundraising Dinner.
The demonstration, organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, focused on Landsman’s voting record related to Israel. Protesters cited his July 2025 vote against cutting $500 million in funding for Israeli missile programs as the main reason for their opposition.
Landsman, a 1999 Ohio University graduate, flipped Ohio’s Congressional District 1 from Republican to Democratic control in 2022. While protesters highlighted his support for Israel, Landsman said his current priorities in Congress include redistricting and addressing gerrymandering.
“With redistricting again being an issue and Republicans continuing to attempt to further gerrymander Ohio and suppress the voice of Ohio voters, we are excited to hear from Congressman Landsman on the current government shutdown, Democrats in Congress work to protect health care for working families and the fight to make fairer legislative maps in Ohio,” Lauren Dikis, a member of the Athens County Democrats board, said via email.
Outside the venue, protesters handed out papers detailing Landsman’s voting history and distributed fliers with statements from the United Nations on Israel.
Participants carried posters, banged pots and pans and chanted call-and-response slogans such as, “Brick by brick, wall by wall, apartheid has got to fall.”
The protest drew both students and Athens residents. Olivia Lusardo, a senior studying hearing, speech and language sciences, said she felt compelled to join SJP after seeing their table outside of Baker University Center.
“I feel like I’ve just been really tired of being silent,” Lusardo said. “I’ve recently been feeling a call to step forward.”
Olivia Lusardo, a senior studying hearing, speech and language sciences, at the Students for Justice in Palestine protest Oct. 3, 2025.
She is not the only one who felt the need to fight for what she believes in. Loraine McCosker, a community member and retired OU faculty member, said she has committed to learning more about the issue since last year.
“I personally have done everything I can to read about it, to understand it and to educate myself since Oct. 7,” McCosker said.
Protesters also circulated lists of Landsman’s voting record with citations from six different websites.
Elizabeth Elrod, an OU alumna who graduated in 2022 and now lives in Athens County, said she thinks Landman’s voting record is disqualifying in her eyes.
“Greg Landsman just signed on to a letter on Sept. 25 to Marco Rubio, along with another Ohio Democrat, Emilia Sykes, not to recognize the state of Palestine,” Elrod said. “Landsman's voting record, I think, speaks for itself.”
Elrod said she thinks that record, combined with his recent actions, makes him unfit to be celebrated by local Democrats.
“I don't believe that perpetrators and perpetuators of genocide should be welcome in our communities,” Elrod said. “The city of Athens and the village of Chauncy both passed ceasefire resolutions. They shouldn’t uplift someone like Greg Landsman … We don’t believe that the Athens County Democrats should be throwing him a dinner party while Gaza starves.”
"Free Palestine" flag at the Students for Justice in Palestine protest Oct. 3, 2025.
The Athens County Democrats acknowledged the demonstration in advance.
“Free speech is a crucial American right and one that must be protected,” Dikis said in an email. “We respect people's right to peacefully protest.”
SJP promoted upcoming events during the protest, including a rally and march Oct. 4 at the Athens Courthouse, an art fundraiser Oct. 6, a sunset vigil Oct. 7, a screening of “Gaza Fights for Freedom” Oct. 8 and a teach-in and game session Oct. 9.
