Screenshot taken from X account of Columbia’s SJP.
Anti-Israel activists at Barnard College in New York, an affiliate of Columbia University, took over a building on campus to protest the expulsion of two students who disrupted a class on Israeli history in January.
Roughly sixty activists took over Milbank Hall, calling on the school administration to rescind its decision expelling the students, according to ABC7.
The two students in question, along with several other colleagues, invaded a “History of Modern Israel” class in January and spread anti-Israel flyers that featured “violent imagery,” among other disruptive activities.
Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury said regarding the expulsion: “When rules are broken, when there is no remorse, no reflection, and no willingness to change, we must act,” adding: “Expulsion is always an extraordinary measure, but so too is our commitment to respect, inclusion, and the integrity of the academic experience.”
The activists on Wednesday vandalized parts of the building with graffiti reading “F–k Barnard,” among other messages, and also physically attacked a Barnard College employee, who, according to the school, ended up being hospitalized because of the assault.
Besides demanding the reinstatement of the expelled students, the protesters’ demands also included “[a]mnesty for all students disciplined for pro-Palestine action or thought,” “[a] public meeting with Dean Leslie Grinage and President Laura Rosenbury,” and “[a]bolition of the corrupt Barnard disciplinary process and complete transparency for current, past, and future disciplinary proceedings,” according to Columbia University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
BREAKING: 50+ COLUMBIA STUDENTS FLOOD ADMIN OFFICE OF BARNARD COLLEGE DEMANDING
1. Immediate reversal of the two Barnard students’ expulsions.
2. Amnesty for all students disciplined for pro-Palestine action or thought. Drop all the charges now!
3. A public meeting with Dean… pic.twitter.com/QKSBQ6jIUg— Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (@ColumbiaSJP) February 26, 2025
The protesters eventually left at some time before 9:30 PM.
Commenting on the disruption, Columbia University released the following statement: “The disruption of academic activities is not acceptable conduct. Barnard College is a separate institution from Columbia University, although it is affiliated. Columbia is not responsible for security on Barnard’s campus. The disruption that is taking place at Barnard’s Milbank Hall is not on Columbia’s campus, and Barnard’s leadership and security team are addressing the current situation. We are committed to supporting our Columbia student body and our campus community during this challenging time.”
The activists’ actions are reminiscent of many protests that took place in 2024, when anti-Israel protesters frequently occupied campus buildings.
In December, students in Cornell University in New York staged “die-in” protest at the campus, lying down on the ground as if dead and blocking access to certain parts of the campus. They chanted: “While you’re eating, kids are bleeding.”
[RELATED: Guns, pro-terrorist signs and messages found at SJP leaders’ residence]
Also in December, students and professors from New York University blocked access to a library at the school, calling on the university to divest from the Jewish state and condemning Israel’s campaign against the terrorist group, Hamas.
In April, students invaded and took over several buildings at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, re-christening one of them as “intifada hall” before being removed by law enforcement. More than 20 were arrested as a result and faced charges of “unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assault of police officers, and others,” among others.
Campus Reform has reached out to Barnard College for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
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