Emerging Congressional Candidate’s Controversial Past

Daliaza Avila Chevalier, a Democratic socialist backed by Mamdani, is on track to become the next congresswoman for New York’s 13th District. Notably, she played a role in the 2024 occupation of Columbia University’s campus and was a prominent participant in a radical anti-Israel organization, which once proclaimed its goal as the “total eradication of Western civilization.”

At just 32, Chevalier became involved with Students for Justice in Palestine in 2014 after interning in the West Bank city of Nablus. She co-founded Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which aimed to pressure Ivy League institutions into cutting financial ties with Israel.

CUAD led the dramatic tent camp protests that took over Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus in 2024.

She reflected on those events, noting that participants were seen as “beautiful” for donning keffiyeh scarves over T-shirts featuring the group’s name. However, following the protests, the university banned those shirts entirely.

“I’ve been active in community organizing. When students came looking for guidance, I relied on my alumni network to help,” Chevalier mentioned to reporters.

Speaking about the camp’s organization, she shared that it lasted several weeks during the spring of 2024, culminating in police intervention that led to the arrest of some group members.

“They prioritize each other’s safety, making sure their health needs are met and protecting each other from privacy violations,” she described. “On a hot day like today, you see students carrying electrolytes and water, and when it cools down, they have warmers and blankets. It’s really beautiful to witness.”

The protests resulted in injuries, damage to campus structures, and a climate of fear for Jewish students, faculty, and staff. After the occupation, over 70 students faced long-term suspensions, with several expulsions issued.

Chevalier indicated that the university should respond to such student-led demands to avoid further turmoil, reflecting on past university actions that distanced itself from controversial interests.

She expressed, somewhat dismissively, “It’s not a matter of if the university will pull out, but when. Continuing to resist only harms them.”

In the wake of the protests, Professor Shafiq resigned, citing a turbulent period that marked his tenure.

Other CUAD members have faced their own challenges; one member, Mahmoud Khalil, was arrested by immigration officials in 2025 and is currently appealing to the Supreme Court to avoid deportation.

The group’s intentions were once detailed in a now-deleted Instagram post that outlined its mission: an outright rejection of Western civilization and a commitment to solidarity with liberation movements in the Global South.

Chevalier’s office has yet to respond to inquiries for comments on the matter.