Barnard College takeover of campus building in Gaza protest marked by assault appears to be over – New York Daily News
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Trending: Pro-Palestinian protesters assaulted a Barnard College employee in a forced takeover of Milbank Hall on Wednesday, school officials said — as students demanded the affiliate of Columbia University reinstate two expelled students who disrupted an Israeli history class.Student groups began posting from the protest shortly after 4 p.m. as dozens of masked protesters charged through a worker, chanted through megaphones, and beat drums while calling on the college to divest from Israel. A demand letter on X called for the “immediate reversal” of both expulsions and the “abolition of the corrupt Barnard disciplinary process.”“We will not stop until our demands are met,” read the memo, posted by the Columbia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.A protester peeks out of Milbank Hall on the campus of Barnard College in Manhattan Wednesday Feb. 26, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)Robin Levine, a Barnard spokeswoman, said the protesters “forcibly entered” Milbank and assaulted a school employee, sending them to the hospital. Cops confirmed an assault of a 41-year-old man around the same time protesters breached the building. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Morningside with minor injuries.If protesters did not agree to leave the building by 9:30 p.m., Levine said, Barnard would have been “forced to consider additional, necessary measures to protect our campus.” Protesters began to disperse after 10:30 p.m. after student outlets reported they agreed to leave in exchange for closed-door negotiations.The NYPD said they were present on public property to monitor the protest and remained nearby if requested by Barnard.Pro-Palestinian protestors leave Milbank Hall on the campus of Barnard College in Manhattan Wednesday Feb. 26, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)“Barnard is a place of learning. Respect, inclusivity, and safety are non-negotiable. Violence and intimidation have no place here,” Levine said.“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. They refused.”
Levine added Barnard did not know if all protesters were students or otherwise affiliated with Barnard.Columbia became the epicenter for campus protests last spring after former Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s decision to call the police launched a series of copycat, pro-Palestinian encampments across the country. The demonstrations came to a head in April when protesters occupied an academic building, Hamilton Hall, spurring another call to the NYPD.Over the weekend, student protest groups announced the expulsion of the two Barnard seniors who disrupted the graduate-level class, “History of Modern Israel,” on Jan. 21. The students carried flyers of a storm trooper boot crushing a Star of David and calls to “Burn Zionism to the Ground,” photos and videos on social media show.Pro-Palestinian protestors leave Milbank Hall on the campus of Barnard College in Manhattan Wednesday Feb. 26, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)In addition to the expelled Barnard students, another student at Columbia was suspended. Columbia University Apartheid Divest said the expulsions were the first for any pro-Palestinian protest activity on campus.In Wednesday’s takeover, a Barnard worker closed the entrance to Milbank, where the student life dean’s office is also located, shortly after protesters began to gather, according to student newspaper Columbia Spectator.Protesters hung the Palestinian flag and vandalized the walls, photos show. A video posted by a coalition of the student groups, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, showed a Barnard classics professor trying to negotiate with the protesters.“It’s weird for me to be here. But I’m also, I happen to be on the floor, so that’s why I’m here,” said the professor, who on behalf of Dean Leslie Grinage offered a meeting with a maximum of three students.“She’s scared of us,” called out one protester.“Yes, I would not dispute that,” the professor responded.A pro-Palestinian protestor leaves Milbank Hall on the campus of Barnard College in Manhattan Wednesday Feb. 26, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)More than three hours after the takeover began, video on social media showed a student shouted: “They’re asking if the dean can go to the bathroom.” The crowd responded “no,” before changing their tune.In a separate clip, Grinage stepped out of her office, where protesters had scribbled “boot lickers” on the wall, and was met with chants.“Shame!” they cried.Outside Milbank, a group of Israel supporters tried to organize a counter protest but were quickly booted by security.“If they’re allowed to enter and protest, so should we,” said Elisha Baker, 22, a junior at Columbia studying Middle East history and co-chair of the pro-Israel student group Aryeh.Pro-Palestinian protestors march to Riverside Park after leaving Milbank Hall on the campus of Barnard College in Manhattan Wednesday Feb. 26, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)Brian Cohen, executive director of the Columbia and Barnard Hillel, called the incident an “infringement” on the right of students to pursue an education without fear of harassment. To the leader of Jewish life on campus, it felt like deja vu.“I am appalled that students once again stormed an academic building, prevented classes from taking place, and according to reports, violently assaulted a staff member,” he said.In a statement, Columbia condemned the disruption as “not acceptable conduct” — but separated itself from the affiliated women’s college.“Barnard College is a separate institution from Columbia University, although it is affiliated. Columbia is not responsible for security on Barnard’s campus,” read the unsigned statement.Student groups began posting from the protest shortly after 4 p.m. as dozens of masked protesters charged through a worker, chanted through megaphones, and beat drums while calling on the college to divest from Israel. A demand letter on X called for the “immediate reversal” of both expulsions and the “abolition of the corrupt Barnard disciplinary process.”“We will not stop until our demands are met,” read the memo, posted by the Columbia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.Robin Levine, a Barnard spokeswoman, said the protesters “forcibly entered” Milbank and assaulted a school employee, sending them to the hospital. Cops confirmed an assault of a 41-year-old man around the same time protesters breached the building. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Morningside with minor injuries.If protesters did not agree to leave the building by 9:30 p.m., Levine said, Barnard would have been “forced to consider additional, necessary measures to protect our campus.” Protesters began to disperse after 10:30 p.m. after student outlets reported they agreed to leave in exchange for closed-door negotiations.The NYPD said they were present on public property to monitor the protest and remained nearby if requested by Barnard.“Barnard is a place of learning. Respect, inclusivity, and safety are non-negotiable. Violence and intimidation have no place here,” Levine said.“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. They refused.”Levine added Barnard did not know if all protesters were students or otherwise affiliated with Barnard.Columbia became the epicenter for campus protests last spring after former Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s decision to call the police launched a series of copycat, pro-Palestinian encampments across the country. The demonstrations came to a head in April when protesters occupied an academic building, Hamilton Hall, spurring another call to the NYPD.Over the weekend, student protest groups announced the expulsion of the two Barnard seniors who disrupted the graduate-level class, “History of Modern Israel,” on Jan. 21. The students carried flyers of a storm trooper boot crushing a Star of David and calls to “Burn Zionism to the Ground,” photos and videos on social media show.In addition to the expelled Barnard students, another student at Columbia was suspended. Columbia University Apartheid Divest said the expulsions were the first for any pro-Palestinian protest activity on campus.In Wednesday’s takeover, a Barnard worker closed the entrance to Milbank, where the student life dean’s office is also located, shortly after protesters began to gather, according to student newspaper Columbia Spectator.Protesters hung the Palestinian flag and vandalized the walls, photos show. A video posted by a coalition of the student groups, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, showed a Barnard classics professor trying to negotiate with the protesters.“It’s weird for me to be here. But I’m also, I happen to be on the floor, so that’s why I’m here,” said the professor, who on behalf of Dean Leslie Grinage offered a meeting with a maximum of three students.“She’s scared of us,” called out one protester.“Yes, I would not dispute that,” the professor responded.More than three hours after the takeover began, video on social media showed a student shouted: “They’re asking if the dean can go to the bathroom.” The crowd responded “no,” before changing their tune.In a separate clip, Grinage stepped out of her office, where protesters had scribbled “boot lickers” on the wall, and was met with chants.“Shame!” they cried.Outside Milbank, a group of Israel supporters tried to organize a counter protest but were quickly booted by security.“If they’re allowed to enter and protest, so should we,” said Elisha Baker, 22, a junior at Columbia studying Middle East history and co-chair of the pro-Israel student group Aryeh.Brian Cohen, executive director of the Columbia and Barnard Hillel, called the incident an “infringement” on the right of students to pursue an education without fear of harassment. To the leader of Jewish life on campus, it felt like deja vu.“I am appalled that students once again stormed an academic building, prevented classes from taking place, and according to reports, violently assaulted a staff member,” he said.In a statement, Columbia condemned the disruption as “not acceptable conduct” — but separated itself from the affiliated women’s college.“Barnard College is a separate institution from Columbia University, although it is affiliated. Columbia is not responsible for security on Barnard’s campus,” read the unsigned statement.Copyright © 2025 New York Daily News
