Students with the Gaza Solidarity Encampment break the doors to the entrance of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after taking over it on Tuesday, April 30. Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine called for mobilization close to midnight. Students have been occupying part of campus since Wednesday, April 17, around 4 a.m. Calling for the university to divest from institutions that have ties to Israel. (Marco Postigo Storel via AP)
New Yorkers are losing their patience as pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University in Morningside Heights turned violent Tuesday when students stormed into and occupied a campus building, destroying property along the way.
Even before the violent uprising, New Yorkers from the Upper West Side to crosstown and beyond were getting fed up with the Columbia protestors. Students from the Ivy League school and other colleges across the country have been taking part in what appears to be a trend of protests for two weeks, demanding their schools do more to support Palestine — and less to support Israel — amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Student protestors at Columbia have demanded the school stop doing business with partners who have ties to Israel.
One New Yorker named Morgan, who wanted to use only her first name, was appalled when she heard about Tuesday’s violent turn of events at Columbia.
“It’s just insane,” the East Harlem mother of three said. “It’s really unnerving and it’s really sad because these people are so young. I don’t think they realize the effects they are having.”
The concerned New Yorker shared that her 17-year-old son had to walk through a pro-Palestine protest uptown shortly after the war in Gaza started and felt scared.
“He was unnerved by the antisemitism,” she said.
‘I can’t believe New Yorkers are tolerating this’
Danielle Avissar of the Upper East Side said she was walking home from a birthday party several blocks from Columbia…
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