Isra Hirsi, a pro-Hamas protester who participated in protests at Columbia University, has been suspended from Barnard College. Hirsi happens to be the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), a member of the Hamas Caucus in Congress, which further shows that the proverbial apple does not fall far from the tree.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Hirsi complained “in my 3 years at [Barnard College], I have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings,” and explained that she “just received notice that [she is] 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing genocide.”
i’m an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest @ColumbiaSJP, in my 3 years at @BarnardCollege i have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings
i just received notice that i am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.
— isra hirsi (@israhirsi) April 18, 2024
In a follow-up post, she wrote that “those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. we will stand resolute until our demands are met.”
And what are these demands Hirsi speaks of? The purpose of the encampment was to push the college to divest from Israel, and to generally agitate against the Jewish state.
Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas. Fiery protests continued into the overnight hours with calls for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The protest came after Columbia University President Minouche Shafik testified before lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where she was grilled on antisemitism on school grounds.
During the hearing, Rep. Omar sounded the alarm about what she called an “attack” with a “toxic chemical substance” at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University during a congressional hearing Wednesday. However, according to court documents, the substance was a non-toxic flatulence spray called “Liquid A–” and “Wet Farts.”
Barnard indicated that it temporarily suspended some students for refusing to comply with written and verbal requests to leave the premises.
There are more than 100 people occupying the area, Columbia University’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, said in a memo to police.
Barnard did not say how many students were suspended or confirm that Hirsi was among them. It did not say how long the suspension would last but said it would continue to suspend students who stay.
“Now and always, we prioritize our students’ learning and living in an inclusive environment free from harassment,” the school said in a memo about the suspensions.
Unfortunately, the situation at Columbia University has become so tense, even Wet Farts were not enough to calm the situation down. On Wednesday night, pro-Hamas protesters clashed with police officers attempting to remove them from the premises. The ensuing fracas resulted in the arrests of some of those participating in the demonstrations.
The footage of the encounter was widely circulated on social media. The video shows police officers struggling to arrest anti-Israel protesters on the campus.
A protester at Columbia University was arrested Wednesday night for repeatedly hitting and scratching an NYPD cop, according to law enforcement officials.
At least three other people were detained as the ongoing anti-Israeli movement turned violent at the Ivy League university, cops and sources said Thursday.
Christopher Briones, 30, allegedly got in the way of cops trying to arrest someone else on the Morningside Heights campus around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and repeatedly exclaimed, “De arrest!” law enforcement sources told The Post.
He then struck and scratched the cop on the arm, causing cuts, the sources said.
Briones was charged with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, authorities said.
This episode is the latest in a series of occurrences happening in universities all across the country. Pro-Hamas students have been staging protests and rallies against Israel and in favor of the Palestinians, as the leadership of these schools are under increased pressure to address the rise of antisemitism on campus.
