Tuesday, April 30, 2024

“We Will Honor All the Martyrs”: Hamas Supporters at Columbia Smash Windows, Take Control of Hamilton Hall in Overnight Attack

Dozens of Hamas supporters who have been staging a campus 'occupy protest' against Israel and the United States smashed windows and stormed the building apparently unimpeded by law enforcement while hundreds more gathered outside the building to secure the entrances.

Hamilton Hall has been the sight of protest actions, such as a 1985 protest calling for divestment from South Africa.

Occupied: Smashing windows to secure the door with a u-lock: Doors being blocked: A couple students intervened to prevent a door being blocked by protesters.

No police after two hours: The peaceful counter-protesting students were assaulted by the mob: Same chant as at GWU riot last night: The student newspaper Columbia Spectator is doing a good job posting updates: At around 1:28 a.m., protesters draped a Palestinian flag from a window on the third floor.

Protesters unfurled a banner from the leftmost side of Hamilton, reading "Gaza Calls Columbia Falls," at around 1:38 a.m. From the Hamilton balcony, protesters unfurled another banner at around 1:40 a.m., reading "Hind's Hall." The name refers to Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian who was killed by the Israeli military in Gaza on Jan. 29.

"We will honor all the martyrs, all the children, sons, and daughters." The protesters on the balcony led several call-and-response chants with those gathered outside the building.

Protesters chanted "Columbia, you will see, Palestine is almost free" and "This building is now liberated." Following the chants, the protesters announced that they would occupy Hamilton until "Columbia meets every one of our demands." At around 1:56 a.m., protesters draped another banner from the top of the building's facade that read "Intifada." Protesters began chanting "No divestment, no commencement" at around 2:23 a.m. Minutes later, protesters unfurled a fourth banner which read "Student Intifada" from a Hamilton window facing the Sundial. 

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/we-will-honor-all-martyrs-hamas-supporters-columbia/

No comments: