“Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Ilhan Omar are being sued for supporting the protests against Israel at Columbia University earlier this year. The protests involved people wearing masks, taking over part of the campus, chanting “Free Palestine,” burning an Israeli flag and throwing rocks. The protests resulted in a violent takeover of Hamilton Hall on April 30.
These three Democrats were also critical of the police for stopping the protests.
Five anonymous students have taken legal action against more than a dozen groups, including the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime, as well as AOC, Bowman, and Omar. Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, a college student at Barnard University, was arrested during the Columbia protest.
The students said in the lawsuit that the Gaza Encampment was against the law. It broke university rules, and Jewish students were harassed, followed, blocked, and bullied. The lawsuit claims that the protesters and their supporters ignored other people’s rights and tried to cause as much disruption as possible.
The students said in court papers that people shouldn’t call for destroying a city, praise terrorists, or threaten to harm classmates and their families, friends, and people who share their religion.
The students argued that the 36,000 Columbia students who followed the rules, went to class, and worked hard for their education were harmed by the actions of their classmates, professors, and outside activists who supported the protest.
The five students, including two Jewish students, said they wished to remain anonymous because they were too afraid to reveal their names.
Their lawsuit highlights a terrifying snapshot into life on college campuses as rioters and protestors were encouraged to run wild.
“Tim Doe,” a Jewish sophomore, left campus because he felt unsafe. He said that during the protests, he saw many offensive and antisemitic signs, including insulting posters with the Star of David.
He also said that while walking, someone from the pro-Palestinian protest noticed him because he was wearing his yarmulke. This person shouted at him to move and started pushing him when he refused.
“William Doe,” a senior in the lawsuit, said his senior design expo was canceled because of the encampment.
Another senior, “Eric Doe,” said he felt nervous about what might happen next because of the protests or the school’s actions. He was worried about how the protests could affect his studies and life at school.
A sophomore named “Michael Doe” said that protesters told him to “keep walking, Zionist” and then followed him, yelling slurs.
The encampment, which lasted at least two weeks, forced classes to move online, blocked access to campus, and messed up final exams. It led to the cancellation of Columbia’s graduation ceremony on May 15.
The Squad is being criticized for its strong support of the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. The Squad supported the protesters and their actions through statements and social media.
The lawsuit says that the lawmakers did more than support the protest—they encouraged it. This caused problems on campus and affected other students’ rights. The demonstrations made some Jewish students feel harassed and scared. Because these famous lawmakers were involved, the protest received even more support and encouragement.
In April, all three lawmakers entered the campus even though only people with student IDs were allowed in. According to the lawsuit, they joined the encampment.
The lawmakers’ actions were against university rules. At the time, access to the Columbia University campus was supposed to be restricted to those with student IDs, but the lawmakers entered the campus and participated in the protest.
Columbia University got a lot of criticism because of the protests and how they were managed. Many thought the university didn’t handle campus security and student concerns well enough.
The University changed its policies in response to the protests. The university reviewed and adjusted rules regarding campus access and the handling of protests to prevent future disruptions.
As the left loves to point out, words have consequences. So does showing up in person at a violent protest to support it.
