A pro-Palestinian protest at Barnard College in New York City resulted in a small group forcibly entering a campus hall and physically assaulting a school employee. The protest was organized in response to the expulsion of two students for disrupting a Columbia University class on Israeli history. The protesters, affiliated with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, demanded the reversal of the expulsions, amnesty for disciplined students, and a public meeting with college officials.
Barnard College, an independent women’s college affiliated with Columbia, allowed students to take courses at both schools. The masked protesters disrupted classes, leading to the cancellation or relocation of some classes. The college warned the protesters to leave the building by 9:30 p.m. or face additional measures to protect the campus. The protesters dispersed after successfully forcing administrators to the negotiating table for a meeting scheduled the next day.
The protesting group claimed that Barnard had already suspended over 50 students for pro-Palestinian activities. The recent expulsions were the first at either Columbia or Barnard for pro-Palestinian protest and the first related to campus protests since 1968. Last year, Columbia University was also the site of student-led protests against the Israel-Gaza war and demands for divestment from companies supporting Israel, resulting in tense demonstrations on campus.
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