New York City police are investigating reports that a Columbia University student was attacked with chemical spray during a pro-Palestinian protest last week.
Eight students were hospitalized and dozens more sought treatment after Friday's attack on the Ivy League campus, two student organizations based at the university, Students for Justice in Palestine and Palestine for Peace, said. Jewish Voice announced in a joint statement.
The group said the chemical caused some students to experience nausea and burning eyes.
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Columbia University students and faculty protest the exclusion of two pro-Palestinian organizations. (Tenny Sahakian/FOX News)
New York City police said a 24-year-old woman told authorities that people around her told her that an unknown substance was sprayed into the air during the demonstration.
“The victim smelled an unknown odor, began to feel nauseous, and experienced a burning sensation in his eyes,” police said in an email.
No arrests have been made.
On Monday, Columbia University interim president Dennis Mitchell said in a campus email that “the perpetrators identified by the university were immediately removed from campus.”
Mitchell did not identify the suspect. He said students who participated in the demonstrations reported being sprayed with a foul-smelling substance and required medical treatment. ”
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Palestine supporters gather at a protest at Columbia University in New York on October 12, 2023. Eight Columbia University students were hospitalized Friday after being attacked with a chemical agent during a pro-Palestinian protest, two student groups announced. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura/File)
“The New York City Police Department plays a leading role in investigating serious crimes, possibly hate crimes,” he wrote. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms all threats and acts of violence against anyone in our community.”
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on the New York Police Department to investigate the attack as a possible hate crime.
“The alleged use of chemicals on the grounds of a New York City college campus is a heinous act,” Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR-NY, said in a statement. “This is an escalation of violence perpetrated against peaceful protesters by individuals seeking to harm and violate the principles of peaceful dialogue and dissent upheld in a democratic society. ”
According to CAIR, some students said the chemical used in the attack was a “skunk” used by the Israeli military against protesters in the Palestinian territories.
Students participate in a protest in support of Palestine and for free speech in front of Columbia University in New York City on November 15, 2023.
Since Israel was attacked by Hamas on October 7, Ivy League institutions such as Columbia University have been at the center of pro-Palestinian protests. Many schools have come under heavy criticism for anti-Israel protests and issues surrounding free speech on college campuses.
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In a statement, SJP and JVP called on the university to investigate the alleged attacks on Muslim and Arab students.
“The double standards are clear,” the joint statement said. “Who will protect the students who advocate for the safety and freedom of Palestinians?”
