Barnard College Protest: Students Fight for Reinstatement

Dozens of students protested outside Barnard College and Columbia University in New York City, demanding the reinstatement of two students expelled for disrupting a class on Israel. The protest, marked by chants of "Free Palestine!" and signs like "Reinstate our students now!", highlighted growing tensions on campus.

<img src="https://example.com/placeholder-image.jpg" alt="Barnard College Protest">

The expulsions followed a sit-in protesting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader calls for divestment from Israel. The protest comes amidst the backdrop of the October 2024 Hamas attacks and the subsequent Israeli response, which has resulted in a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Over 116,000 people signed a petition supporting the expelled students. A poignant sign read, "There are no universities left in Gaza", referencing the destruction of universities in Gaza and the killing of thousands of students, teachers, and professors, as reported by the UN.

Counter-protesters supporting Israel were also present, creating a stark contrast and underscoring the deeply divided campus climate. One notable incident involved a man distributing what appeared to be pagers, a possible reference to the pager attacks in Lebanon.

Raymond Lotta, a spokesperson for Revolutionary Books, emphasized the protestors' solidarity with the expelled students and their demand for reinstatement, amnesty for other students facing punishment, a meeting with campus leaders, and the abolition of the disciplinary process. The protest concluded with a march to join a demonstration against New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies professor job posting at Hunter College.

This incident highlights the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on university campuses across the US.