A small group of protesters gathered inside Barnard College’s campus in Manhattan to show support for two students reportedly expelled for disrupting an Israeli history class. The demonstration, organized by student activists and Barnard officials, saw nearly 100 students from Barnard and Columbia University staging a sit-in at Barnard’s Milbank Hall.
The protesters, many wearing keffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian identity, chanted and clapped while sitting in a hallway. The demonstration escalated when Barnard security staff clashed with the protesters, resulting in a Barnard employee being physically assaulted and sent to the hospital.
Barnard President Laura Rosenbury condemned the protesters' actions, emphasizing the college's commitment to maintaining a safe and inclusive learning environment. The expulsions of the students involved in the disruption were disclosed by the activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD).
The sit-in was part of a week-long protest organized by CUAD to challenge the expulsions linked to the disruption of a history class at Columbia University. The incident at Columbia involved individuals distributing flyers with violent imagery during a Modern Israel class.
Barnard's leadership attempted to de-escalate the situation by offering to meet with the protesters under the condition of removing their masks, which the protesters refused. The demands of the protesters include the reversal of the expulsions, amnesty for disciplined students, and transparency in disciplinary proceedings.
Following the protest, Barnard and Columbia University are assessing the situation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining academic activities without disruption. The incident at Barnard adds to a series of high-profile protests at universities across the country in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As the situation unfolds, both institutions are focused on upholding academic integrity while addressing the concerns raised by the protesters.
