By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-22 06:35:51 | Updated at 2025-01-22 09:05:01
2 hours ago
Anti-Israel protesters disrupted a Columbia University class about the Jewish state’s history Tuesday when the agitators barged into a classroom and handed out hate-filled fliers – sparking a brief confrontation between students.
The shocking conduct was caught on video, showing keffiyeh-clad rabble-rousers entering a “History of Modern Israel” class on the first day of the semester where they then distributed the pamphlets to students while one protester spoke into a camera slamming the class and Zionism.
Some of the fliers were quickly crumpled up by students as one peer in the class said, “We don’t want your sh-t.”
"Why don't you take off your mask?!"
That’s how Columbia students responded when masked protesters entered their classroom with pamphlets that call to "burn" and "crush" Zionism.
Do these students actually think that harassing people will change their minds, or do they think… pic.twitter.com/QLWNu58MGr
Other students in the classroom urged the protesters to leave, while the instructor attempted to usher them out the door, according to the video posted online by the Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students X account.
“Take off your mask,” one student said to the protesters. “Why don’t you take off your mask?”
“This is a civil rights violation, we’re trying to learn,” another peeved pupil said.
Some fliers given out included one that read, “Crush Zionism” with a boot ready to stomp on a Star of David symbol and another that read “Burn Zionism to the ground,” according to a social media post from a Columbia student.
Interim Columbia School President Katrina Armstrong denounced the disruption in a statement later Tuesday.
“We strongly condemn this disruption, as well as the fliers that included violent imagery that is unacceptable on our campus and in our community,” she said.
“No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom. Disrupting academic activities constitutes a violation of the Rules of University conduct and the nature of the disruption may constitute violations of other University policies.”
The university head, who replaced former president Minouche Shafik at the start of the academic year last summer, vowed to “move quickly to investigate and address this act.”
“We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Armstrong said.
The commotion was part of a larger protest on the first day of class of the spring semester Tuesday.
Last spring semester, protesters occupied a campus building and greenspace on two separate occasions.
The elite Big Apple institution has been roiled with anti-Israel demonstrations since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 and sparked a wider conflict between the two sides in Gaza.
Hamas terrorists savagely killed 1,200 Israelis and took another 240 people hostage that day. Israel responded with months-long strikes on Gaza, killing more than 47,100 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
But a cease-fire deal in Gaza has held over the last few days, which could lead to peace in the region and the release of every living hostage held in the Palestinian enclave.
Israel supporters slammed the Columbia protesters while giving credit to the students in the classroom who stood up to them.
“Love these proud @Columbia students who refuse to sit down and take it anymore. The proTerrorist proHamas harasses of course cover their faces! The Jewish community is strong and has a bright future,” Todd Richman, who co-chairs Democratic Majority for Israel, wrote on X.
“Proud of these young men and women!!!”
