• Source:JND
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A group of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed Barnard College’s Milbank Hall in New York City on Wednesday, scrawling slogans like “Free Palestine” and “Barnard Funds Genocide” on the walls. The demonstrators, many of whom were masked and wearing scarves, demanded amnesty for disciplined students and a meeting with college leadership. The protest escalated into a physical altercation, prompting a response from both college officials and law enforcement.

The protest was organised as a sit-in at Barnard’s Office of the Deans, in response to the recent expulsion of two Barnard students. The students had been removed for allegedly disrupting a Columbia University class on Israeli history a month prior. The protest group Columbia University Apartheid Divest led the demonstration, which quickly intensified when protesters forcibly entered Milbank Hall.

According to Barnard College officials, an employee was physically assaulted during the protest and was later hospitalised. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) reported that officers responded to West 120th Street and Broadway around 4 pm EST (2:30am IST). Upon arrival, they found a 41-year-old man who claimed he had been “shoved by numerous individuals” and was experiencing body pain. He was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in stable condition.

Barnard College’s Response 

Robin Levine, Barnard College’s vice president for strategic communications, issued a statement condemning the protest’s escalation. She noted that masked protesters not only forced their way into the building but also encouraged outsiders to enter the campus without proper identification.

“We have made multiple good-faith efforts to de-escalate. Barnard leadership offered to meet with the protesters—just as we meet with all members of our community—on one simple condition: Remove their masks,” Levine stated. “They refused. We have also offered mediation.”

By 9 pm EST (7:30 am IST), the individuals involved in the protest remained inside the building. Barnard College officials, unsure if the demonstrators were all members of the school community, set a deadline of 9:30 pm (8 am IST) for them to vacate the premises before taking further action.

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Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine announced on X that protesters dispersed after the administration agreed to meet with them on Thursday. The group demanded amnesty for disciplined students, a meeting with college officials, and the reversal of two student expulsions. 

The protest at Barnard College drew comparisons to a larger demonstration at neighboring Columbia University last year. In that incident, demonstrators occupied a campus building, leading to a police intervention to remove them. While Wednesday’s protest at Barnard did not result in arrests, it highlighted ongoing tensions surrounding campus activism on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

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