Unsanctioned Hamas Protest Breaks Out at Columbia University
Unauthorized Pro-Hamas Protest Erupts on Columbia University Campus
Despite warnings from university administrators that such speech and demonstrations would not be permitted, an unauthorized pro-Hamas protest erupted on Columbia University’s campus on Wednesday.
Israeli Columbia professor Shai Davidai — who has previously sounded the alarm regarding openly anti-Semitic activity at the prestigious school — shared some details about the event in a thread posted to X, noting that the university still appeared reluctant to take even the smallest steps to put a stop to it.
“An UNAUTHORIZED pro-Hamas protest,” Davidai began. “By refusing to hold the organizers accountable, Columbia is sending a big f*** you to every Jewish and Israeli student, faculty, or staff. The President of Columbia needs to be held accountable.”
Everything is so egregious, I don’t even know where to begin.
So let’s start with this:
Here is one of the main organizers, riling up the crowd by telling them that there is nothing more honorable than dying for a noble cause.
Where have I heard that one before? pic.twitter.com/fGlgbMRWVA
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) January 24, 2024
He then shared the first of several videos, which featured a speaker who told the crowd that there was “nothing more honorable than dying for a noble cause.”
“Where have I heard that one before?” he asked.
The next video featured a chant calling for the genocide of all Jews and the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state.
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“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Arab,” he quotes the speaker as saying. “According to this person, my 93 year old Jewish grandmother and 4 year old Jewish niece do not have a right to exist in Israel. So much for ‘peaceful’ protests.”
Here’s a third organizer at @Columbia, calling for an armed resistance in NYC!
Remember: during the 5 years of the 2nd Intifada in Israel, there were 144 suicide bombings.
Almost 700 Israeli civilians were murdered.
How is it OK to call for killing civilians in the U.S? pic.twitter.com/5QGKnRbbJf
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) January 24, 2024
A third organizer riled the crowd further, calling for “armed resistance.”
”How is it OK to call for killing civilians in the U.S.?” Davidai asked.
Remember:
EVERYTHING you just saw is against @Columbia‘s rules.
6 weeks ago, the President of @Columbia said that speech like this “will not be tolerated.”
Well, guess what? Not only does she fucking tolerate it, she is REFUSING to do anything about it. pic.twitter.com/hh86HxzIUj
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) January 24, 2024
Davidai shared one additional video of the chants, after which he again pointed out that everything said and done at the protest was in violation of stated university policy.
“Remember: EVERYTHING you just saw is against @Columbia’s rules. 6 weeks ago, the President of @Columbia said that speech like this ‘will not be tolerated.’ Well, guess what? Not only does she f***ing tolerate it, she is REFUSING to do anything about it.”
Davidai then stated that the university was aware of who was leading the protests, saying that alumni and donors — as well as prospective students — should be paying close attention to the school’s repeated failure to address anti-Semitic protests and demonstrations.
What actions should Columbia University take to address the occurrence of pro-Hamas protests on its campus and create a safe and inclusive environment for all students
Ings in which 1,100 Israelis were killed and 8,341 were injured. Imagine if a Columbia student were to carry out a similar act!
Can you imagine the outrage? And yet, Columbia appears to not only tolerate, but also enable these types of dangerous sentiments and actions on its campus.
Davidai then went on to describe how the university’s response to the protest was lacking. He noted that while the university claims to value freedom of speech and expression, it seems to only apply that value to certain groups.
“If this were any other minority or marginalized group, people would be up in arms,” Davidai wrote. “But apparently, when it comes to the Jewish and Israeli community, it’s a different story. The double standard is clear and deeply troubling.”
This is not the first time that pro-Hamas sentiments and activities have erupted on Columbia’s campus. In October 2023, a similar unauthorized protest took place, in which participants openly expressed support for the terrorist organization.
At that time, Davidai had called on the university to take action to prevent such events from occurring again.
“We cannot continue to allow our campus to be a breeding ground for hatred and anti-Semitism,” he wrote in a letter to the university’s president. “It is the responsibility of the university to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students, and that includes Jewish and Israeli students as well.”
Unfortunately, it seems that Columbia University has failed to fulfill this responsibility. The continued occurrence of pro-Hamas protests on campus is not only a threat to the safety and well-being of Jewish and Israeli students, but also undermines the university’s mission of fostering a diverse and inclusive community.
It is crucial that the university take immediate and decisive action to address this issue. This includes identifying and holding accountable the organizers of the unauthorized protest, implementing educational programs to foster tolerance and understanding, and creating a clear policy that prohibits the expression of hate speech and support for terrorist organizations on campus.
Additionally, the university must make it clear that such actions will not be tolerated and that there will be consequences for those who engage in them.
As a respected academic institution, Columbia University should strive to be a leader in promoting respect, inclusivity, and diversity. It must take a stand against hate and anti-Semitism, and work to create an environment in which all students feel safe, respected, and valued.
It is my hope that Columbia University will acknowledge the gravity of this situation and take the necessary steps to address it. The Jewish and Israeli community at Columbia deserves to be protected and supported, and it is the responsibility of the university to ensure that this happens.
Only through decisive action can Columbia University begin to restore its reputation and fulfill its mission of providing a safe and inclusive environment for all.
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