Pro-Palestinian Protest at Barnard College Leads to Assault and College Response
A protest demanding the reversal of expulsions escalated, resulting in an employee’s hospitalization and heightened tensions on campus
Overview
Pro-Palestinian student protesters at Barnard College staged a sit-in, forcibly entering a building and injuring an employee. The protest aimed to reverse expulsions of students disciplined for a prior disruptive act related to Israel. College officials condemned the violence and temporarily suspended classes. The ongoing situation reflects deep tensions surrounding campus activism related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Analysis
- Pro-Palestinian protests at Barnard College involved masked students forcibly entering a campus building and leading a sit-in to demand the reversal of recent student expulsions for interrupting a class on Israeli history.
- Some protesters have claimed that the expulsion of two students for their disruptive actions was excessive, while critics argue that the protests involved violence and intimidation, undermining the safety and values of the college community.
- The protests at Barnard are reflective of larger national tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses, with calls for academic freedom and responses from both supporters and opponents of the movement.
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The protesters demanded the immediate reversal of the expulsions of two students, amnesty for all students disciplined for pro-Palestinian actions, and a public meeting with college officials. They also called for the abolition of the disciplinary process and complete transparency in disciplinary proceedings.
Barnard College officials condemned the violence and offered to meet with the protesters under the condition that they remove their masks, which was refused. The college threatened to take further action if the protesters did not leave by a specified time, and they eventually left without further incident.
The two students were expelled for disrupting a Columbia University class on the history of modern Israel in January. They distributed flyers with what was described as hateful speech.
There is no specific mention of classes being temporarily suspended due to the protest in the provided sources. However, the situation heightened tensions on campus.
History
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