Well we knew the pro-Hamas extremists would be back, and we didn’t have to wait long—they got started right away on the first day of the semester as they broke windows, spray-painted buildings, and vandalized property. This tweet didn’t age well:
A happy first day of classes to our Cornellians! 📚 #CornellWelcome pic.twitter.com/ajc4IlQnpA
— Cornell University (@Cornell) August 26, 2024
The first day wasn’t quite as happy as administrators hoped:
Anti-Israel agitators defaced property at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and held a massive protest on the first day of classes Monday, despite administrators’ efforts to prevent a repeat of the spring chaos.
Along the entrance of Day Hall on Monday morning, the messages “Israel bombs, Cornell pays” and “Blood is on your hands” were scrawled in red spray paint, and the door glass had been smashed.
Here is some of their handiwork:
Breaking: “Israel bombs, Cornell pays” and “Blood is on your hands” were spray painted in red on Cornell’s main administrative building along with the front door glass smashed.
Today is the first day of the fall semester at Cornell, and the campus is already falling into chaos. pic.twitter.com/a1eZxfOy1D
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) August 26, 2024
The protesters tried to explain to the school newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, why they thought violence was an acceptable way to advocate for their cause. Of course, they wanted to stay anonymous because they’re cowards:
“We had to accept that the only way to make ourselves heard is by targeting the only thing the university administration truly cares about: property.”
“With the start of this new academic year, the Cornell administration is trying desperately to upkeep a facade of normalcy knowing that, since last semester, they have been working tirelessly to uphold Cornell’s function as a fascist, classist, imperial machine,” the activists, who asked to remain anonymous, wrote.
Remember? Cornell University Antisemite Sentenced to Prison for Threatening to Slaughter Jewish Students
Another One Bites the Dust: Cornell University President Martha Pollack Resigns in Surprise Email
Cornell Professor Who Was ‘Exhilarated’ by Hamas’s Attacks Is Now So Very Sorry (but Is He Really?)
The administration issued strongly-worded statements saying people would be held accountable, but haven’t we heard that before?
“Acts of violence, extended occupation of buildings, or destruction of property (including graffiti), will not be tolerated and will be subject to immediate public safety response,” [President Michael] Kotlikoff and [Interim Provost John] Siliciano wrote.
Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina condemned the graffiti in a Monday afternoon statement. The people who vandalized Day Hall, Malina wrote, are being investigated by Cornell Police and will see conduct referrals and potential criminal charges.
“We are appalled by the graffiti spraypainted, and glass shattered overnight along the front entrance of Day Hall,” Malina wrote. “Acts of violence, extended occupation of buildings, or property damage (including graffiti) will not be tolerated and will prompt an immediate response from public safety.”
We’ll see. As we reported, it was common knowledge that more campus protests were being planned by the anti-Israel crowd over the summer, so my question is, why weren’t they ready for it?
They told you they were coming:
Here We Go Again: Students Prepping for Even More Pro-Hamas Campus Protests This Fall
