New York City – In a tumultuous incident marked by anti-Jewish hostility, nine protesters with ties to Hamas were arrested this week for violently storming Barnard College. The takeover of the college’s Milstein Library, which led to the arrests on Wednesday, March 5, escalated tensions on the Columbia University-affiliated campus. The disruption was sparked by a fake bomb threat and fueled by ongoing protests over the expulsion of students involved in previous anti-Israel demonstrations.
Among those arrested were Symmes Cannon, Gabrielle Wimer, Hannah Puelle, Yunseo Chung – all Columbia University students – as well as Tramy Dong from Barnard College and Christopher Holmes from Union Theological Seminary. They faced charges of disorderly conduct, trespassing, and obstructing governmental administration.
The incident unfolded with around 200 masked protesters storming the Milstein Library, chanting anti-Israel slogans and distributing propaganda materials promoting Hamas and images of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Reports from Jewish students on the scene revealed graffiti in the library’s guest book reading “Death to America,” highlighting the extremist nature of the demonstration.
The protest was organized in response to the expulsion of three Barnard students who had previously disrupted university activities with anti-Israel actions. The situation intensified when a bomb threat was reported, prompting the intervention of the New York Police Department (NYPD). Officers worked for nearly two hours in the rain to clear the building and eventually detained the nine individuals who defied orders to disperse.
Fortunately, no explosives were found, and the campus was declared secure by late Wednesday evening. Barnard College President Laura Ann Rosenbury condemned the disruption caused by the protest, reassuring the community that regular academic activities would resume the next day. The presence of Hamas supporters on campus and the rise of anti-Jewish hostility have raised concerns among students and faculty members regarding campus safety and ideological conflicts.