At an Earth Day news conference, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shifted her focus to praise the student-led protests occurring across college campuses as “peaceful.” She emphasized the power of organizing and collective action among young people, climate advocates, labor organizers, and working-class individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Ocasio-Cortez specifically highlighted the leadership displayed by young people on campuses like Columbia, Yale, Berkeley, and others. Her comments come as the Orthodox rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College issued a message advising Jewish students to leave campus due to the ongoing “encampment” of anti-Israel agitators. Participants in the demonstrations have been captured on camera expressing sympathy for the terrorist group Hamas.
The rabbi, Adam Buechler, expressed concern that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish students amidst the escalating antisemitism and anarchy. He urged students to return home until the situation improves dramatically.
Shai Davidai, a Jewish professor at Columbia who has previously criticized the university’s inaction on antisemitism, demanded that the National Guard be brought in if the NYPD is unable to take effective action. Davidai described the situation as a “hostile takeover of the university” and a clash between supporters of Hamas and Western civilization.
Davidai emphasized that the demonstrations at Columbia have never been about human rights but rather about justifying violence as a means to an end. He specifically referenced the October 7th Hamas terror attack.
Columbia University is one of several Ivy League schools and other universities facing a wave of anti-Israel agitations on their campuses. The situation has raised concerns over campus safety and the potential for escalation.
