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Edited by: Fern Sidman
Two students from Barnard College have been expelled following their involvement in a disruptive anti-Israel protest that targeted a Columbia University class on the history of modern Israel. The New York Post reported on Monday that the disciplinary action comes more than a month after masked demonstrators stormed the classroom, distributing hate-filled flyers and causing widespread outrage across the Ivy League campus. The two students, whose identities have not been publicly disclosed, had previously been suspended following the January 21 incident, which was captured on video and widely circulated.
According to the information provided in The New York Post report, the expelled students were among a group of agitators wearing keffiyehs who forcefully entered the “History of Modern Israel” class on its first day of the semester. The protesters distributed pamphlets containing inflammatory imagery, including one depicting a boot crushing a Star of David and another showing the Israeli flag engulfed in flames alongside the phrase “Burn Zionism to the ground.” The chaotic scene prompted immediate backlash from students in the class, some of whom pleaded with the demonstrators to leave. In video footage of the incident, one frustrated student can be seen crumpling up a flyer and declaring, “We don’t want your s–t,” while another demanded, “Take off your mask.”
Interim Columbia University President Katrina Armstrong had initially condemned the disruption and promised an investigation, according to the New York Post. That probe ultimately led to the expulsion of the two Barnard students, a move that was confirmed by the student-led anti-Israel group Columbia’s Apartheid Divest. Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury defended the decision, stating in a statement to The New York Post: “When rules are broken, when there is no remorse, no reflection, and no willingness to change, we must act.” She emphasized that while expulsion is an “extraordinary measure,” it was necessary to uphold the institution’s values of respect, inclusion, and academic integrity.
The New York Post report highlighted that Barnard’s decision reflects a broader commitment to ensuring a safe and harassment-free learning environment. “At Barnard, we always fiercely defend our values. At Barnard, we always reject harassment and discrimination in all forms. And at Barnard, we always do what is right, not what is easy,” Rosenbury added. The college has not publicly identified the expelled students, citing federal privacy laws.
Despite the disciplinary action, one of the expelled students insisted that the punishment was unjust, according to a statement released by Columbia’s Apartheid Divest and cited by the New York Post. “At Barnard, I was told countless times the value of voicing my opinion and standing up for what I know to be true and good,” the student complained, suggesting that their actions were in line with what they believed to be an exercise of free speech. However, the college’s administration and many students who witnessed the incident have framed it as an unacceptable act of harassment and intimidation rather than legitimate protest.
The New York Post further noted that the classroom takeover was part of a larger pattern of escalating tensions over Israel and Zionism on Columbia’s campus, with student activists increasingly engaging in disruptive demonstrations. In this case, the protest crossed a line, sparking national attention and raising concerns over the climate of intimidation that has developed at many elite academic institutions.
Meanwhile, Columbia’s Apartheid Divest has taken an aggressive stance in response to the expulsions, openly boasting about the classroom disruption and calling for others to engage in similar actions. According to The New York Post report, the group circulated footage of the January 21 incident on social media, accompanied by a provocative message: “We disrupted a Zionist class, and you should too.” The call to action has raised alarms among Jewish students and faculty at Columbia, many of whom have faced increasing hostility on campus in recent months.
Columbia/Barnard Hillel’s executive director, Brian Cohen, applauded Barnard College for holding the students accountable but urged Columbia University to follow suit by expelling its own students who were involved. “When students have their right to get an education trampled on by masked protesters who burst into their classroom, those protestors need to be held accountable,” Cohen said in a statement to the New York Post. He further emphasized that Columbia has a responsibility to address broader patterns of harassment, including previous incidents such as the anti-Israel encampments and the takeover of Hamilton Hall. “This will send a clear message that the harassment of Jewish students and faculty will not be tolerated at Columbia,” Cohen added.
The New York Post report indicated that this latest episode is part of a larger trend of escalating tensions at Columbia University, which has been a hotspot for anti-Israel activism, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Columbia has seen repeated protests, often aided by faculty and outside agitators unaffiliated with the university. One of the most disruptive events occurred last year when Columbia students set up a tent encampment on campus, which quickly spiraled into chaos, with reports of harassment and intimidation against Jewish students.
The expulsions at Barnard mark a significant moment in the ongoing debate over how universities should respond to increasingly aggressive anti-Israel activism. While Barnard’s administration has taken a firm stance against disruptions that violate academic integrity and student rights, Columbia University now faces growing pressure to take similar action against its own students who participated in the classroom storming. With tensions still running high, the question remains whether Columbia will follow Barnard’s lead in sending a decisive message that harassment and intimidation will not be tolerated in the name of political activism.
