Chicago – September 03, 2024
Masked protesters demonstrating against Israel gathered outside Columbia University in New York City on Tuesday, as students returned for the first day of classes. Chanting “Free Palestine!” and displaying signs that read “divest from death,” the protest aimed to pressure the Ivy League institution to stop supporting companies linked to violence. This protest follows a wave of demonstrations at Columbia last spring, which saw over 100 arrests and garnered global attention.
The recent surge in protests coincides with tragic news of Hamas killing six hostages, including 23-year-old Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, days earlier. Hamas continues to hold nearly 100 others captive following their terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Tuesday’s protest, initially peaceful, escalated when demonstrators began pushing barricades, leading to scuffles and the arrest of at least two individuals, one near Columbia and another outside Barnard College, located across the street. One protester notably carried a sign “Long live Hind’s Hall,” referencing a previous incident where protesters renamed a university building in memory of a young casualty of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
