World

‘October 7 is about to be every day:’ Columbia rally sees Hamas support

April 21, 2024
Bharat Times English News

Anti-Israel activists threatened Jewish and Israeli students with further October 7 Massacres, claimed membership with Hamas, and expressed support for terrorism during the Columbia University protests that began on Wednesday, according to footage and accounts from local media and organizations.

“Remember the 7th of October!” shouted a man with a red keffiyeh over his face in a video published by Columbia Sundial editor-in-chief Jonas Du on social media on Friday.  “That will happen not one more time, not five more times, not 10 more times, not 100 more times, not 1000 more times, but 10,000 times!”

Calling for “October 7 everyday”

“Never forget the 7th of October,” said another masked man wearing a Palestinian flag, standing outside the campus gates on Thursday night. “Are you ready? 7th of October is about to be every day. Every day.  7th of October is going to be every day for you.”

Florida Senator Rick Scott condemned the activists in the video as “antisemitic terrorist sympathizers” and warned that their support for Hamas would not be forgotten.

Students walk outside the Library of Columbia University in New York. (credit: REUTERS)

“You don’t want a ceasefire or peace. You want violence, terrorism, and to support thugs who hate America and our great friend Israel,” Scott wrote on X on Friday. “If action is not taken immediately, we must revoke all federal funding and hold these ignorant ‘protestors’ and the university, enabling them accountable for this violent, evil rhetoric.”

A woman in a Keffiyeh shouted at a pro-Israel activist, “We are Hamas,” outside Columbia on Wednesday, according to a video published by Freedom News on Youtube.

“We’re all Hamas,” she said at the counter-protesters that had rallied outside the New York City university.

Students were also seen holding a sign with the face of Walid Daqqah, who died from cancer on April 7 in Israeli prison. Daqqah was commander of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine cell that kidnapped, tortured, and executed IDF soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984.

Response to the protest

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned about students proclaiming that they are “all Hamas” at a press briefing on Friday.

“Let’s not forget what we saw — the antisemitism, the bigotry, the hate that we saw in the street of Charlottesville, which, as I just stated, was one of the reasons that he decided to run.  And no president has taken more action to combat antisemitism than this president,” responded Jean-Pierre. “In our national strategy, we made clear that when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs, because of their identity, or when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hate — hatred, that is antisemitism.  And that is completely, completely unacceptable.”

Students Supporting Israel Columbia claimed in a Friday statement that when the encampment was set up on the university campus on Wednesday, anti-Israel activists chanted, “We don’t want Zionists here.” Protesters reportedly threw fake blood at Jewish students outside the campus.

On Thursday night, protesters were alleged by SSI to have chanted “Long live the intifada.” Other activists reportedly scrawled Intifada on chalk outside the dormitories, where some students had Israeli flags in their rooms’ windows.

“We know where you live now,” the activists called, according to SSI. “You killed half our family.”

SSI said that on Friday, pro-Israeli counter-protesters were told to kill themselves, and some were approached by a person holding up the emblem of Hamas.

“I belong to them,” said the student with the Hamas sigil, according to SSI. “You guys lost the war, man. We did a lot. From the river to the sea. And you will all be kicked out, you’ll see. Soon. Sooner or later.”

SSI said that the situation was untenable, as “Students’ rights to peacefully attend their university courses without fear of being accosted or assaulted on their way to class were denied.”

The student group also reminded that political commentator Yoseph Haddad was attacked on Friday by an anti-Israel protestor before he was set to give them a lecture.

“I was physically attacked by pro-terror protesters before my lecture at Columbia University,” Haddad said on Instagram. “Instead of a lecture, I had to file a complaint with the police. They may have drawn blood, but these cowards will never stop me.”

The Columbia Jewish Alumni Association sent a letter to university president Minouche Shafik in which they also condemned the attack on Haddad and cited several other incidents, including protesters comparing “the NYPD and IDF to the KKK.”