Jewish students were advised to leave campus for their safety by Columbia’s orthodox rabbi, although other Jewish organizations have disagreed with that advice.
By Jack Elbaum, The Algemeiner
Anti-Israel activists at Columbia University in New York set up a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” in the middle of campus last week.
Protests accompanying the encampment — both on and off campus, including students and others from the surrounding community — have included pro-Hamas and antisemitic rhetoric.
In an effort to end the encampment, which was breaking school rules, the university’s president, Minouche Shafik, called in the New York City Police Department.
“I took this extraordinary step because these are extraordinary circumstances,” she said. “The individuals who established the encampment violated a long list of rules and policies. Through direct conversations and in writing, the university provided multiple notices of these violations.”
However, Shafik continued, “all of these attempts to resolve the situation were rejected by the students involved.”
Jewish students were advised to leave campus for their safety by Columbia’s orthodox rabbi, although other Jewish organizations have disagreed with that advice.
The pro-Hamas and antisemitic chants and statements made by those in connection with the encampment have even drawn comment from the White House: “While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous — they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America.”
More absolute insanity out of @Columbia tonight.
"Al-Qassam you make us proud! Take another soldier out!"
"We say justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!"
"Hamas we love you. We support your rockets too!"
"Red, black, green, and white, we support Hamas’ fight!"
"It… pic.twitter.com/er1kSyEX5z— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) April 21, 2024
Here is a comprehensive list of the chants and statements that produced such a response.
A protester stood in front of pro-Israel students who were waving Israeli and American flags with a sign reading, “Al-Qassam’s next targets,” referring to the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization.
A man yelled at two Jews, “Never forget the 7th of October. That will happen not one more time, not five more times, not 10 … 100 … 1,000 … 10,000 … The 7th of October is going to be every day for you.”
A crowd chanted, “Al-Qassam, you make us proud; kill another soldier now!”
Demonstrators yelled “Jews, Jews” in Arabic and others were saying “Go back to Poland.”
A group of demonstrators off-campus chanted, “We say justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!”
“Hamas we love you. We support your rockets too!”
“Red, black, green, and white, we support Hamas’ fight!”
“It is right to rebel, Al-Qassam, give them hell!”
A person in the encampment said, during a speech, “Let it be known that it was the Al-Aqsa Flood [Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel] that put the global intifada back on the table again. And it is the sacrificial spirit of the Palestinian freedom fighters that will guide every struggle on every corner of the earth to victory.”
She continued, “Remember that militancy breeds resistance. Thousands upon thousands of students around the world have been moved to rebel because of your militancy.”
Members of the encampment created a “human wall” after a leader yelled, “Zionists have entered the camp!” The leader then directed the people there to take “one step forward … push them out of the camp.”
When asked if he condemns Hamas, a Columbia student responded, “I don’t need to condemn anybody. I condemn you motherf—ker!”
Another student led the following chants: “From the river to the sea, Palestine is Arab!” and “Resistance [Hamas] is justified!”
During a high-intensity protest, people chanted, “There is only one solution, intifada revolution!”
Students chanted, “Say it loud and say it clear: “We don’t want no Zionists.”
People gathered and protested around a “By any means necessary” banner.
An individual anti-Israel protester screamed, “We are all Hamas, pig! Long live Hamas.”
An individual said to Laura Loomer, a far-right activist, “Kill All Zionists” and told her he “loves Hamas” because “they kill Zionists.”
To a police officer named Ahmed, a protester outside Columbia yelled, “Traitor to his people! Get the f—k out of here, have some shame. Don’t f—king show your face here again you piece of s—t. Your mom is a wh—e.”
A poster outside the encampment reads, “Admitted students — enroll in revolution.”
A speaker told Columbia students during a speech, “Don’t work, don’t go to class, don’t research. Act out your Marxist and post-colonial ideas!”
A poster in the encampment read, “A message to the scum of nations and pigs of the Earth: Paradise lies in the shadow of swords. Glory to those who make the occupier feel bitterness.”
Anti-Israel encampments also popped up at other universities. Here is a list of some incidents from Yale University.
Students danced to a song with the lyrics “F—k Israel, Israel a b—ch; B—ch we out here mobbin’ on some Palestine s—t; free Palestine b—ch, Israel gon’ die b—ch; n—ga it’s they land why you out here tryna’ rob it; bulls—t prophets, y’all just want the profit.”
Students chanted “Viva, viva, Palestinia” while tearing down the American flag from a pole, cheering when it hit the ground.
A student poked a pro-Israel student/journalist in the eye with a flag. She had to get treated at the hospital.
It is unclear if and when university administrators will take action to end these encampments, which they have said violate school rules, and punish those involved.