Ilhan Omar questions Columbia University president about 'chemical' attack during congressional hearing
Rep. Ilhan Omar calls foul on incident at Columbia University in which an anti-Israel protest was dealt with 'Wet Farts,' according to court documents.
Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter was suspended from Barnard College amid anti-Israel activism, she said in a post on X.
Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Omar, said Thursday that she has been suspended from Barnard College for her involvement in anti-Israel protests on Columbia University’s campus.
"I’m an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest Columbia [Student for Justice in Palestine], in my 3 years at Barnard College i have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings i just received notice that i am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide," she said.
Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel's war against Hamas. Fiery protests continued into the overnight hours with calls for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., for the last votes of the week on June 15, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The protest came after Columbia University President Minouche Shafik testified before lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, where she was grilled on antisemitism on school grounds.
During the hearing, Rep. Omar sounded the alarm about what she called an "attack" with a "toxic chemical substance" at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University. However, according to court documents, the substance was a non-toxic flatulence spray called "Liquid A--" and "Wet Farts."
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., claimed Omar's questioning of Columbia's president and her daughter's suspension were somehow connected.
"The day after @IlhanMN questioned Columbia leadership's commitment to free academic expression, the school suspended her daughter? It's clear what is happening here. Our educational institutions should not be in the business of political reprisals," he posted on X.
Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter says she was suspended from Barnard College. (Getty | YouTube/screenshot-Brower Youth Awards)
"It was very surreal being a student. It really felt like we're in what some people would say... almost a war zone of a campus," Jonas Du, a Columbia University student, told "FOX & Friends First" on Thursday.
NYPD officers eventually made arrests in connection with the fiery demonstrations on Thursday morning.
Fox News Digital contacted Columbia and Barnard for comment.
"Students who are participating in the unauthorized encampment are suspended. We are continuing to identify them and will be sending out formal notifications," Columbia University told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., right, appears at a congressional hearing on Wednesday. (Fox News Digital )
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Barnard referred Fox News Digital to a statement it released Thursday.
"This morning, April 18, we started to place identified Barnard students remaining in the encampment on interim suspension, and we will continue to do so," the statement said. "Before noon on April 17, Columbia made multiple requests that students participating in the unauthorized encampment leave the lawn. A number of Barnard Senior Staff also went to the lawn to ask Barnard students participating in the encampment to leave and to advise Barnard students that they would be subject to sanctions at Barnard if they did not leave the encampment."
Fox News' Bailee Hill contributed to this report.