A group of approximately 30 students at Columbia University in New York staged a walkout during a foreign policy lecture conducted by former Secretary of State and Senator, Hillary Clinton. The protest was a response to their perception of the university’s involvement in what they considered the “shaming” of pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
The demonstration was prompted by a recent incident in which photos of students who had endorsed a declaration holding Israel accountable for the October 7th Hamas attacks were displayed on video screens mounted on trucks near the university campus. The display included the text, “Columbia’s biggest antisemites,” as reported by The New York Times.
The students involved in the walkout contended that these photos had been obtained from a secure and private student portal within Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). The protest was a premeditated and orderly action, with the participants leaving the lecture hall midway through Clinton’s two-hour lecture. Subsequently, they joined other demonstrators in the school’s lobby. Their demands included the provision of immediate legal support for affected students and a commitment to safeguard students’ privacy, well-being, and security.
Keren Yarhi-Milo, the school’s dean who co-teaches the class, engaged with the protesting students after the lecture, expressing her support for their cause. At that point, Hillary Clinton had already departed.
Notably, Hillary Clinton, a former Democratic presidential candidate, has taken a decidedly pro-Israel stance since the recent outbreak of the conflict, publicly criticizing those advocating for a ceasefire during a discussion at Rice University’s Baker Institute.
Columbia University has become one of the focal points for protests related to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war. Students from both sides have engaged in heated disputes, with accusations of escalating violence and rising casualties.
In this particular incident, the pro-Palestinian students, whose images were featured on the screens near the campus, had endorsed a declaration supporting “Palestinian resistance against over 75 years of Israeli settler-colonialism and apartheid.” The statement underscored Israel’s government’s responsibility for the conflict and casualties.
A spokesperson for Columbia issued a statement expressing concern about the appearance of vehicles displaying the students’ photographs. The statement highlighted that numerous individuals, including students from various schools, had experienced such attacks by third parties, which extended to disturbing incidents involving trucks circling the Columbia campus, displaying the names and photos of Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian students. The university’s utmost priority is the safety and security of its students and the broader community, with a strong condemnation of doxxing, which is a perilous form of intimidation.
Columbia University introduced a new task force to counter student doxxing and enhance student safety. Notably, the protesters clarified that their demonstration was an act of solidarity and was not associated with any specific political ideals or public figures.
This incident was not without its logistical challenges, as some students expressed their frustrations over the displacement of nearly 500 students from one of Columbia’s most popular computer science classes to accommodate the high-profile lecture series delivered by Hillary Clinton. Dean Yarhi-Milo even playfully interrupted one of Clinton’s initial lectures to allow students to take photos of their esteemed teacher. Some likened the scene to that of paparazzi.
Announced in February, Hillary Clinton’s class, titled “Inside the Situation Room,” commenced at the beginning of the academic year in September. Former Columbia President Lee Bollinger outlined that the class would explore fundamental questions concerning the advancement of democracy’s renewal and the promotion of greater involvement of women and youth in both the United States and globally.
