NEW YORK CITY—Hundreds of Columbia University students celebrated the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack by surrounding pro-Israel students and shouting “resistance is justified.” They later joined in with a larger protest, organized by an anti-Semitic group, where agitators bloodied an Israel supporter, smashed a car window, and sported Hamas headbands.
Pro-Israel students (seen in the background) are now surrounded by their peers pic.twitter.com/M9tDd67Xey
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
The day started with a group of pro-Israel supporters gathered outside Columbia’s gates in remembrance of the terrorist attack. They chanted “Bring them home,” sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and held posters showing photos of hostages captured by Hamas.
Pro-Israel supporters singing the Star Spangled Banner pic.twitter.com/PJDP5YtTU5
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
But anti-Israel students soon overwhelmed the several dozen supporters of the Jewish state, marching and chanting “one solution” while holding Palestinian flags and dancing to “I believe that we will win” chants.
📍 Columbia University campus: Hundreds of anti-Israel student protesters chanting ‘one solution” on Oct. 7@FreeBeacon pic.twitter.com/b2WUn9CPkV
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Celebrating
‘I believe that we will win” pic.twitter.com/9tPDH4hQfy
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
The agitators made their way to the New York Stock Exchange and joined up with protesters affiliated with Within Our Lifetime, a notoriously anti-Semitic group. Its founder, Nerdeen Kiswani, has called for Israel to be “wiped off the map” and repeatedly praised Hamas. She has also addressed Columbia students before, both as one of the featured speakers at the pro-terror “Palestinian Resistance 101” event held on campus in March and as an unauthorized guest of the illegal encampment that plagued the school shortly thereafter.
Protest began at the New York Stock Exchange and is organized by notoriously anti-Semitic org. ‘Within Our Lifetime.” pic.twitter.com/zUQWjyVGqe
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Demonstrators kicked off the larger protest by unfurling a massive Palestinian flag. Keffiyehs were prominent in the crowd. Flags for Hezbollah, Iran, and Samidoun—an Israeli-designated terrorist organization—were also spotted.
Holding up a poster with a Hamas headband
‘Glory to my Palestinian Brothers
Victory is surely yours” pic.twitter.com/o89rEb3EsV— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Hezbollah flag & more pic.twitter.com/jE28Ppsf93
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Several protesters surrounded and attacked Democratic Majority for Israel co-chair Todd Richman, bloodying his nose. One struck him with a tambourine and another ripped away his Israeli flag. Afterward, they burned a cardboard effigy of a pig.
BREAKING: Pro-terror protesters attack Israel supporter in NYC.
The man is bleeding after he got hit on the head. His Israeli flag was also stolen@FreeBeacon pic.twitter.com/sWzGIjcIFc
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
After attacking an Israel supporter, protesters burned a cardboard effigy of a pig 📍 Union Square Park pic.twitter.com/7yYIEsOeWP
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Agitators heckled another man, grabbed at his backpack, and followed him until he sought refuge in a restaurant. Police escorted a Jewish man wearing a kippah to safety and arrested several protesters near Times Square. Protesters also smashed the window of one car and spit on another.
Another man attacked. Someone tried grabbing his bag pic.twitter.com/spY8PqoSWp
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
They kept harassing the man an entire block until he had no choice but to seek shelter in a restaurant pic.twitter.com/YyhvFXnKg0
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
A Jew also had to be escorted out for his safety pic.twitter.com/kZCYhhhu51
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Smashed car window pic.twitter.com/9seiWmzQTS
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
NOW: Anti-Israel protesters spitting on a woman’s car@FreeBeacon pic.twitter.com/y3QiE3zYfV
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Several arrests close to Times Square pic.twitter.com/oIMCTFajsy
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
One agitator displayed a poster showing a Hamas headband. “Glory to my Palestinian Brothers,” it read. “Victory is surely yours.” Another wore a shirt depicting a Hamas fighter. They also ripped down posters of kidnapped Israelis.
As they’re marching, some protesters are ripping down posters of kidnapped Israelis pic.twitter.com/xYSmacqEkQ
— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) October 7, 2024
Anti-Israel protests marking Oct. 7 have been ongoing since the weekend. On Saturday, for example, a local journalist set himself on fire in front of the White House to protest Israel’s war in Gaza.
Two days later, several dozen protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. They chanted “from the river to the sea” and called to “globalize the intifada.”
BREAKING: Anti-Israel protesters gather outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. exactly one year after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
With ‘from the river to the sea” chants
via @FreeBeacon pic.twitter.com/QZxt8ZGvQE
— Meghan Blonder (@Meghan_Blonder) October 7, 2024
Update, 8:52 p.m.: This story has been updated to identify the bloodied pro-Israel demonstrator.
This article was originally published at freebeacon.com
