Anti-Israel Protesters Occupy Barnard College Library; Second Takeover in One Week

Anti-Israel Protesters Occupy Barnard College Library; Second Takeover in One Week

By: Fern Sidman

Dozens of virulently anti-Israel protesters escalated their confrontation with Barnard College administrators on Wednesday by seizing control of the school’s Milstein Center library, marking the second major occupation of a campus building in just one week, as was reported by The New York Daily News. The masked demonstrators entered the library through an unmarked side entrance at approximately 1 p.m., according to videos posted online by a pro-Hamas group unaffiliated with Barnard or Columbia University. Their primary demand was the immediate reversal of the expulsions of three students who had participated in prior campus protests.

Shortly after the occupation began, Barnard issued an official warning instructing the protesters to vacate the premises, but the activists defiantly tore up the notices and vowed to stay. According to the information provided in The New York Daily News report, the demonstrators argued that their continued disruptions were necessary to hold administrators accountable. “We were left with no choice but to resume the sit-in because Barnard has shown they will sabotage negotiations unless we hold them accountable,” the protesters stated in a Substack post. “Until administrators concede to our demands, we in our hundreds will continue to disrupt their business as usual.”

The three expelled students had faced disciplinary action for their roles in previous protests, including participation in a class disruption earlier this semester involving anti-Semitic flyers and last spring’s occupation of Hamilton Hall. Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury addressed the campus in an email, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the school’s academic mission. “Our academic mission is at the heart of what we do, and disruptions to that mission are an affront to the purpose of higher education and cannot be tolerated,” Rosenbury wrote, according to The New York Daily News. She assured students and faculty that activities outside the Milstein Center were continuing without interruption.

Inside the occupied building, demonstrators brandished Palestinian flags and amplified their chants through megaphones, as shown in videos cited by The New York Daily News. Their rallying cry, “We want justice, you say how? Un-expel our students now,” reverberated through the library while others played drums and cymbals. Protesters also distributed “Wanted” posters featuring President Rosenbury and Dean of Student Life Leslie Grinage, accusing them of “unjustly” expelling pro-Hamas students.

The demonstration took on an increasingly provocative tone when activists used a puppet labeled as “Rosenbury” to symbolize what they described as her subservience to external influences. The report in The New York Daily News indicated that one protester was seen manipulating the puppet before it was hung outside the building by its neck—a stark visual meant to highlight accusations that the college president was beholden to pro-Israel donors. “Puppet President Rosenbury, are the Zionist Donors pulling the strings?” Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of student organizations, wrote in a social media post cited by The New York Daily News.

As tensions mounted, Barnard College’s public safety personnel swiftly secured the Milstein Center’s entrance, preventing further access to the building. About an hour into the protest, administrators issued another written warning urging the demonstrators to leave immediately. “We have offered you multiple opportunities to leave the building peacefully and without further escalation,” the memo stated. “If you do not comply with this request, we will take further action as necessary to clear the building,” The New York Daily News reported.

Despite this ultimatum, the protesters remained steadfast in their occupation. In a brief phone call with one of the student activists, Rosenbury proposed a meeting with administrators—but only on the condition that the masked protesters reveal their identities. The activists rejected the offer, reiterating their demand for the reinstatement of the expelled students. “Our demand is to reinstate the expelled students because of how unjust this process has been, and we don’t intend on leaving until that happens,” one protester stated in footage reviewed by The New York Daily News.

Columbia University, which has faced mounting pressure from federal authorities to crack down on disruptive protests, sought to distance itself from Barnard’s turmoil. In a statement referenced in The New York Daily News report, Columbia clarified that while it was in communication with Barnard leadership, it did not condone the disruption of academic activities. “The disruption of academic activities is not acceptable conduct,” the statement read. “We are committed to supporting our Columbia student body and our campus community during this challenging time.”

Meanwhile, the occupation unfolded against a backdrop of growing financial and political stakes for Columbia. As reported by The New York Daily News, multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration, are considering withholding at least $51.4 million in active government contracts tied to Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. The potential funding cut illustrates the broader consequences of ongoing campus unrest and the increasing scrutiny universities face over their handling of politically charged demonstrations.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, the protesters remained entrenched in the Milstein Center, refusing to leave until their demands were met. With tensions between anti-Israel student activists and administrators reaching a boiling point, Barnard College now faces a pivotal decision: whether to intensify disciplinary measures or seek a resolution through dialogue. In either case, the unrest signals that the campus will likely remain a flashpoint in the broader debate over blatantly anti-Semitic demonstrations organized by pro-Hamas student organizations.