3 weeks ago
NEW YORK — House Speaker Mike Johnson, nan Louisiana Republican, held a property convention connected nan steps of Columbia University supra an encampment wherever demonstrators demanding nan schoolhouse divest itself from Israel-linked businesses person occupied since past week.
The speaker blasted assemblage leaders for permitting "mob rule" and intimidation strategies "overtake" nan Founding Fathers’ ideals of state of speech, state of belief and "the free speech of ideas."
Columbia President Minouche Shafik was seen stepping distant from nan Low Memorial Library aft Johnson's speech.
Columbia University president Minouche Shafik leaves nan Low Memorial Library connected nan field of Columbia University, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The embattled president, who's nether unit to resign her post, reportedly met pinch Speaker of nan United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson earlier his reside astatine nan assemblage earlier. (Fox News Digital)
"We conscionable can’t let this benignant of hatred and force antisemitism to flourish connected our campuses, and it must beryllium stopped successful its tracks," Johnson said.
UT AUSTIN PROTESTS DESCEND INTO CHAOS, ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS YELL AT POLICE: ‘PIGS GO HOME’
Hecklers many times interrupted him, however, pinch a PA strategy galore were listening to his remarks connected their phones and nan shouting was delayed arsenic nan watercourse lagged down his real-time remarks.
Speaker Michael Johnson arrives astatine Columbia University, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Speaker Johnson will reside nan situation successful Gaza which has been nan attraction of protests astatine nan Ivy League college. (Fox News Digital)
Republican North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, speaking aft Johnson, alleged that "inmates are moving nan asylum" arsenic nan encampment appeared to person interrupted preparations for upcoming commencement ceremonies and person been accused by Jewish students and module of creating an unsafe and intimidating situation a nan bosom of nan Ivy League campus.
"You took action past week," she said, referring to a short-lived effort to extremity nan protestation that resulted successful respective arrests. "It’s clip to enactment again."
If administrators neglect to do so, she warned, Congress could return action.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS
The encampment itself appeared subdued Wednesday, erstwhile assemblage officials lifted nan schoolhouse lockdown to let members of nan media in. About 100 group were wrong nan hedge-lined gates, talking successful mini groups. People allowed into nan abstraction were asked not to return pictures of anyone’s face, not to usage narcotics aliases intoxicant and not to speak pinch nan media. Multiple group who said they were authorized to speak connected behalf of nan group declined to speak pinch Fox News Digital.
Some demonstrators said their cohorts had stepped retired to spot nan speaker’s property convention aliases for different reasons. A schedule written connected a achromatic committee astatine nan halfway of nan section noted it was clip for lunch. Several students captious of nan encampment said they believed nan protesters had toned things down connected intent owed to nan media beingness and nan legislature delegation.
Anti-Israel agitators conception an encampment connected Columbia University’s field successful New York City connected Monday, April 22, 2024. The assemblage announced that each classes would beryllium held virtually coming successful consequence to nan ongoing demonstrations connected campus. (Peter Gerber)
One student, who asked to beryllium identified only pinch his first name, Josh, owed to fears for his safety, told Fox News Digital that he could perceive nan protesters chanting anti-Israel slogans and beating drums good into nan night.
"The scariest point I want to stress is that we’ve had nary thought who has been successful these camps," he said. "I’ve watched, while stepping location astatine night, group climbing complete nan fence, smuggling worldly successful done broadside doors." He said immoderate of nan group he saw resembled a student he believed had been suspended successful relationship pinch nan demonstrations.
He besides played cellphone video taken complete nan play showing a group of anti-Israel agitators calling a brace of Jewish students "Zionists" and surrounding them because they were wearing Star of David necklaces.
"It’s conscionable scary," he said.
IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS' PROTESTS SPIRAL INTO 'ACTUAL TERROR ORGANIZATION,' PROFESSOR WARNS
As a result, he said, a group of Jewish students has begun monitoring nan plaza for non-students and suspended students.
"None of america wanted to beryllium activists," he added. "We’ve each been dragged into it, though."
Outside nan perimeter of nan encampment, pro-Israel students raised American and Israeli flags amid a section of missing personification flyers showing nan faces of dozens of nan much than 200 group kidnapped erstwhile nan militant Palestinian group Hamas launched a deadly battle connected Oct. 7, 2023.
Columbia student sits adjacent to nan show of photos of nan hostages taken by Hamas connected Oct. 7, 2023. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
Columbia students beryllium adjacent to a show of photos of nan Israeli hostages Hamas took during nan terrorists' battle connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
"These are existent people, correct now, that are hostages successful Gaza," said Itai Driefuss, a Columbia student and Israeli subject seasoned from Tel Aviv. "I deliberation that a batch of group present don’t understand that arsenic soon arsenic you bring nan hostages home, that’s each we want."
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Instead, he said he’s been spit on, stalked astir campus, and harassed.
"It’s loud, and it’s scary, and a batch of Jewish and Israeli group don’t locomotion astir connected field aft nan sun goes down," he told Fox News Digital.
