OAN’s James Meyers
9:54 AM – Tuesday, April 30, 2024
A large mob of anti-Israel protesters broke into an academic building at Columbia University and took control of it on Tuesday morning.
The mob rebranded the well-known hall named after U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton and displayed a giant flag that read “intifada.”
Footage of the incident showed dozens of anti-Israel protesters breaking into Hamilton Hall and barricading themselves in just before 1 a.m., with many using metal barricades, chairs, and tables.
One video shows a protester using a hammer to smash through a glass-paneled door. He is also seen locking himself in by wrapping a bike lock around the door handles.
Once the anti-Israel protesters were able to gain entry into the building, they quickly covered the cameras with black trash bags and tape, according to the school’s Columbia Daily Spectator.
“We will not leave until Columbia meets every one of our demands,” one activist screamed from a balcony in the building. The group has demanded that the university divest from Israel.
The student-led outlet also reported that the building was locked down within five minutes, with protesters not allowing anyone to enter.
Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said at a press conference: “The world is watching as the leadership of our so-called elite colleges and universities continue to fail to condemn antisemitism and protect Jewish students on campus.”
Currently, the rioters were reportedly still occupying the building on the South Lawn, which has been the location of the school’s anti-Israel encampment for over a week, according to the school paper.
Meanwhile, the campus storming prompted Columbia officials to close the campus on Tuesday, restricting access to everyone except students who currently live there, as well as essential staff.
Additionally, hundreds of protesters covered the outside of the campus building, linking arms to form a human chain, and stopping people from coming through the entrance.
“Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go,” protesters outside the building could be heard chanting during the wild scenes, according to footage posted to X by an independent news blog.
“We will not leave until Columbia meets every one of our demands,” others raged.
The latest anti-Israel movement comes just less than a day later after Columbia finally announced they would begin suspending students who refused to leave their tent encampment by 2 p.m. on campus.
The school outlet also stated that when the mob entered the building, there were facilities workers still inside, with one of the workers yelling “They held me hostage!” as he left the building.
“They swarmed the building,” one of the workers told Politico. “I got into a scuffle with a couple of them. They finally let us out,” the staffer added, showing off a cut on their hand.
In the meantime, Columbia officials have not stated how they plan to address the latest actions by the anti-Israel protesters.
Meanwhile, the White House denounced the hostile takeover, saying it was “absolutely the wrong approach” that is “not an example of peaceful protest.”
A slew of anti-Israel protests have been happening at other campuses across the U.S. in the past two weeks.
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