Columbia University Students File Lawsuit Against Activists Behind Anti-Israel Encampment
Several students from Columbia University have filed a class-action lawsuit against activists and groups responsible for organizing anti-Israel encampments and protests that disrupted the campus in the spring. The lawsuit also names Congress members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Ilhan Omar as defendants, accusing them of “inciting and encouraging” the protests.
The five plaintiffs, consisting of both current students and graduates, have chosen to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation stemming from the violence and “hateful rhetoric” exhibited by the protesters.
“The Gaza Encampment was extreme and outrageous conduct. It was illegal. It violated university rules. Its occupants harassed, followed, physically blocked, intimidated, and bullied Jewish students,” the plaintiffs stated.
The protests at Columbia University saw students taking over the campus quad and occupying Hamilton Hall. Protesters were repeatedly seen burning Israeli flags and chanting slogans such as “Death to Israel,” “Death to America,” and “Death to Jews.”
“This case is brought on behalf of the students who were forced to pay that high price by the tortious acts of on-campus students and faculty and their off-campus allies who conspired to organize and continue the two-week encampment. That encampment, and the safety threat that it created, forced Columbia to move classes online, restrict access to campus immediately before finals, and ultimately cancel commencement,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit lists several groups as defendants, including National Students for Justice in Palestine, Within Our Lifetime, the People’s Forum, the United Auto Workers (UAW). The congresspeople listed as defendants are accused of trespassing on campus in April by visiting and “participating in the encampment” at a time where access to campus was only permitted for those with student IDs, according to the New York Post.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is listed as a defendant, criticized the intervention of police on campus at the height of protests. In a post on April 30, when police were authorized to intervene, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, “If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and univ. presidents.”
“In a civilized community, one does not call for the obliteration of a major metropolitan area, praise terrorists, or threaten death and destruction upon our classmates and their families, friends, and coreligionists,” the plaintiffs stated, according to court papers.
