Columbia student describes tense, scary situation on campus amid anti-Israel protests
A Columbia student from Israel tells Fox he and his Jewish friends do not feel safe on campus amid anti-Israel and antisemitic protests, some of which have turned violent. He describes being told to kill himself by anti-Israel protesters.
Students who formed an encampment at Columbia University in New York City, in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, were met with the full force of the New York Police Department after the school reversed course to allow law enforcement personnel on campus. The decision prompted backlash from Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ignited a tiff between the lawmaker and the police force online.
"Good SAT scores and self-entitlement do not supersede the law," NYPD Chief John Chell wrote in a tweet early Thursday morning.
"Columbia decided to hold its students accountable to the laws of the school," he added. "I am sure you would agree that we have to teach them these valuable life skills."
The comment came after Ocasio-Cortez complained Wednesday that Columbia made "the horrific decision to mobilize NYPD on their own students."
NYPD officers arrest anti-Israel protesters as they block the roadways outside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Brooklyn home in New York City on Tuesday. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
The students are protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's office for additional comment, but a response was not immediately received.
On Thursday, the NYPD responded to Ocasio-Cortez, applauding the school for holding its students "accountable" for "the consequences of their actions."
"Truly amazing! Columbia decided to hold its students accountable to the laws of the school. They are seeing the consequences of their actions. Something these kids were most likely never taught," Chell wrote Thursday.
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He continued: "Secondly, I was with those ‘units’ last Thursday that you describe as having, ‘the most violent reputations.’ These ‘units’ removed students with great care and professionalism, not a single incident was reported."
The NYPD responded to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's criticism of Columbia University's decision to use law enforcement officers to restore peace. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
"The only incidents that day on campus were the student's hateful anti-Semitic speech and vile language towards our cops," he added.
The police chief also urged the lawmaker to "rethink" her comments and thank the NYPD officers.
"I am sure you agree any hateful speech is unacceptable. You should rethink your comments to a simple thank you to the NYPD and hate has no place in our society," he wrote, adding: "Lack of accountability = consequences."
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"Hate from anyone, anywhere has no place in our city and country," Chell concluded.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry also weighed in, pointing to how the protests are impacting other students at the school.
"Everyone has a Constitutional right to protest, it’s one of the pillars our great democracy is built on. But kids also have a right to go to school without being harassed, threatened, intimidated or assaulted," Daughtry wrote.
NYPD officers patrol as anti-Israel protesters demonstrate outside of Columbia University’s campus in New York City on April 18. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)
The deputy commissioner added: "There is nothing ‘horrific’ about protecting the safety of Columbia’s young students who are just trying to go to school. We’ve said it time and time again, the NYPD will always protect and defend your right to protest but just because you hold a sign while you’re threatening, harassing, intimidating and assaulting people doesn’t give you a free pass from criminal conduct."
"Being anti-Semitic and spewing hate to kids will never ever be tolerated in our city. Our officers are the best and most highly trained law enforcement professionals in the world. Everyday, they have to endure insults, threats, and hate speech merely because the uniform they wear as they try to keep the peace and protect everyone’s rights," his post continued.
The NYPD deputy commissioner also encouraged Ocasio-Cortez to visit Columbia and to walk through the campus to see the protest.
"I promise our officers will, like always, do their job, and protect you like they have protected everyone on campus regardless of what your political beliefs are. We’ll also take a report if you feel threatened," he concluded.
On Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez, who has publicly expressed her support for the protests — which she has described as "peaceful" — criticized the school’s decision to call for law enforcement officers to help restore order on campus.
"Not only did Columbia make the horrific decision to mobilize NYPD on their own students, but the units called in have some of the most violent reputations on the force," she wrote on X. "NYPD had promised the city they wouldn’t deploy SRG [Strategic Response Group] to [the] protests."
A row of Palestinian flags is seen on the fence at the anti-Israel encampment at Columbia University in New York on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
Columbia continued to negotiate with students to clear the encampment after there were over 100 students arrested, but the several failed attempts have been mostly fruitless.
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Columbia University averted another confrontation between students and police earlier Wednesday as the school extended the negotiations to reach an agreement on clearing an encampment through a midnight deadline that University President Minouche Shafik had set on Tuesday. The school extended negotiations for another 48 hours.
Police said 133 protesters were taken into custody at the New York university this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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