A crowd of pro-Palestinian student demonstrators stormed a Barnard College building on Wednesday, protesting the recent expulsion of two students who disrupted an Israel-themed class last month.
Dozens of protesters held a sit-in in the office of Barnard’s Dean, Leslie Grinage, in Milbank Hall, reports the Columbia Spectator. In the melee, a 41-year-old employee of Barnard was said to have been assaulted as protesters forced their way inside. He was hospitalized and then reported to be in stable condition, reports The New York Times.
Videos uploaded by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine demonstrated activists wearing keffiyehs and masks and evading security to take part in the demonstration. In, they were shouting pro-Palestinian slogans, clapping, and beating on drums.
The protest resulted from the two expulsions of students who had disrupted a January 21 “History of Modern Israel” lecture taught by Columbia University lecturer Avi Shilon. The masked students called the class “Zionist propaganda” because Israel’s support by “imperialist forces” was being ignored.
More than 113,000 individuals have since signed a petition calling for the reinstatement of the students. Protesters also demanded dropping charges against other Palestinian activists, changing Barnard’s disciplinary procedure, and conducting a public meeting with Grinage and Barnard President Laura Rosenbury.
The protest lasted for over six hours before being dispersed at about 10:30 p.m., after receiving a warning from Barnard authorities. No amnesty was granted, and Barnard denounced the protest for putting campus safety at risk.
A second protest was scheduled for Thursday. New York Governor Kathy Hochul meanwhile directed Hunter College to take down a job advertisement for a Palestinian studies professor, which also fueled more outrage.
