sLast month, anti-war student protesters from Everalders gathered outside Columbia University and Bernard University in New York on Thursday to protest the expulsion of two students who suspended Israeli classes.
Students wearing kefier in solidarity with the Palestinians chanted a series of anti-war slogans in the presence of the New York Police Department (NYPD) outside their sister school.
“Free, free Palestine!” They cried out as they embraced the handwritten signs that read, “There is no more Zionist occupation” and “Reviving the Students.” Others cried out: “Don't cross the picket line! We must praise Palestine! Students, students, you will stand up! Gaza is by your side!”
Thursday's protest came after a sit-in by anti-war students at the Bernard University building on Wednesday evening to protest the expulsion of two students.
Tensions across Columbia and Bernard have been erupting on a regular basis since last spring's anti-war campus protests, demanding that students sell American universities from Israel.
Colombia has become the focus of national protests after the October 7 attack that killed around 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages in Israel. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 48,000 Palestinians and forced nearly two million survivors to be expelled amid severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies due to Israeli aid restrictions.
Tensions across the two New York institutions have recently revived following Bernard's decision to expel two students after two students suspended their classes on January 21st. The class is “The History of Modern Israel” and was taught by Professor Abi Shillon, a lecturer at the Institute of Israel and Jews at Columbia University.
As of Thursday afternoon, more than 116,600 people I had signed the letter It urges Bernard University to revive exiled students.
Outside the gates of Bernard University, a student held up a handwritten sign saying, “There are no universities left in Gaza.” Over the past 16 months, Israel has destroyed all the universities in Gaza, in addition to killing at least 5,800 students, 261 teachers and 95 university professors. Condemned Israel's actions as a “scholasticide.”
Around ten student protesters gathered across from the students in Colombia and Bernard were protesting Israel's war of Gaza.
One student began playing Israeli music with others, wearing a shirt with the slogan “Fuck Hamas, Stand in Israel.” Another student wore a white hoodie with the words “Columbia University students supporting Israel.”
One man who appears to have no connection to the student approached the anti-war student protester, holding what appeared to be a pager and said, “Who wants a fucking pocket?” There were clear references to the attacks of Pager and Torkey, which crossed Lebanon last September, killing at least 20 people and injuring nearly 3,000 others. The Lebanese government and Hezbollah denounced Israel for the attack.
It was Harlem's innovative book spokesman Raymond Lotta who attended the anti-war protest in solidarity with Columbia and Bernard students.
“We are here today because we are in solidarity with students here in Bernard and Colombia, and we are calling for this university for supporting the Palestinian people and complicit in war crimes.
In addition to reviving students, protesters are calling for “pardonation” from all students who were punished for Palestinian actions, meetings with campus leaders, and “abolition of the corrupt Bernard disciplinary process.”
At the end of the demonstration, students marched to participate in another protest against New York Governor Cathy Hochul, who ordered City University in New York (Cuny) on Wednesday.
