The nine student agitators arrested after raiding the Academic Building at Bernard College on Wednesday night were not students at Elite Women's College, but joined in a brawl at nearby Columbia University and Union Seminary.
The threat of fake bombs prompted evacuation of the Milstein Library at Bernard College. This was passed down to about 200 protesters. Most of them concealed their identity with face masks or Kefier headscarves and chanted anti-Israel slogans through the bullhorn.
The demonstration repeated a similar campus building acquisition at Bernard last week, but this time the group ratcheted rhetoric, hanging an old west-style “hopeful” poster for the student dean, and even a jarring statue of school president Laura Rosenberry.
In December, in a cold Instagram post, an illustration of the famous statue of Athena, the famous Greek goddess on Bernard Campus, lobbed Molotov cocktails at the Milstein Centre.
“Barnard First, Columbia Next,” some of the text accompanying the Instagram post were read.
Columbia University has promised that it is considering disciplinary choices against students in Fracas last night.
“We have been notified that four Columbia students have been arrested as part of yesterday's disruption at Bernard's Milstein Library, and we are working on the discipline process quickly. A spokesperson for Columbia University regrets that members of this community have participated in this unacceptable disruption at Bernard.
“Breaking our rules, policies and laws must have consequences. We remain committed to supporting more than 36,000 students and Columbia student organizations in this challenging time.”
