At Columbia University, pro-Hamas protesters were arrested after they occupied and vandalized campus facilities, paralyzing the university, although few faced serious consequences. Now, Columbia University’s new president, Katrina Armstrong, is effusively apologizing for the arrests, which will encourage protesters to take over the campus in the future. “If you could just let everybody know who was hurt by that, that I’m just incredibly sorry,” Armstrong said. “And I know it wasn’t me, but I’m really sorry. … I saw it, and I’m really sorry.” A disgusted Steve McGuire says that Armstrong’s “weakness is just incredible. The protestors broke the law. They occupied a building. Antisemitism ran wild. The main graduation had to be canceled. The campus is still in partial lockdown. There has already been more vandalism this semester. And she’s apologizing? She should be promising to do it again if necessary.”
Columbia University’s new president has not apologized for the incident in which a Jewish student was beaten for objecting to a pro-Hamas student tearing down posters of kidnapped Israelis. Earlier this year, a student at Columbia University captured more than 750 antisemitic online posts written by Columbia students and organizations.” “Students reported being told ‘Kill your fucking self. And I’ll fucking kill you.’” One Jewish “student reported that when she went to health services in July, no one came in to see her, and she overheard a discussion between two healthcare professionals in another room in which one said they would not treat her because she was Israeli.”
In May, the union representing custodians employed by Columbia University said it will sue over the university’s mishandling of pro-Palestinian protests. Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen told Fox News the New York school failed to protect its staff when protesters took over Hamilton Hall earlier this month.“Columbia should have never put the custodians or the security officer in that position and that is at the heart of the matter. Columbia showed an epic disregard and epically failed to protect the workforce, ” he said.
Cops arrested over 100 protesters after they took over Hamilton Hall. The protesters smashed windows and broke through doors to get in. They then barricaded themselves inside, reported the Columbia Spectator.
The union president said several protesters “tried to hold our workers in the building” during the occupation.
“The entire TWU workforce in the building was fearful and rightfully so. They stormed in … but two of the custodians had to fight their way out. They were explicitly told ‘You’re staying here, you’re not going anywhere, this cause is bigger than you.’”
The union president characterized the protesters as “smarmy, sort of entitled, spoiled, bratty occupiers” who tried to prevent blue-collar workers from going home to their families.
“It’s outrageous, it’s an affront to workers everywhere,” he declared, saying the university should expect a lawsuit from the union soon.
Union officials wrote to former President Minouche Shafik seeking security footage and the names of the arrested protesters. They also sought a meeting with Shafik “regarding mitigation steps necessary to avoid future placement of members in harm’s way if the protests resume, and recompense to the TWU members who were subjected to this despicable conduct.”
“The TWU Security Officer, an African-American woman, managed to leave the building before the barricades went up,” they wrote. “But she remains shaken by her encounter with the occupying protesters (aka privileged kids) who verbally attacked her in a very aggressive and extremely offensive manner.”
