Three members of “the Squad” of far-left congressional legislators are being sued by a group of students over their vocal support of anti-Israel encampments that arose in the spring, most notably at New York’s Columbia University. Among those named in the class-action lawsuit are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). Also named are a dozen virulently anti-Israel groups, including Within Our Lifetime, which urges participants to “globalize the intifada” against Israel and other Western nations.
“Inciting and Encouraging” Protests
The lawsuit claims that the left-wing legislators are guilty of “inciting and encouraging” the sometimes violent protests, and that the three Democrats were among the “outside champions” of the vicious anti-Israeli crowds. Five unnamed students, two of whom are Jewish, are the plaintiffs in the suit. They are reluctant to give their names for fear of reprisal.
AOC, in particular, urged New York City leaders and campus officials not to intervene in the unrest. “If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and univ presidents,” the representative said on X. She continued:
Other leaders and schools have found a safe, de-escalatory path. This is the opposite of leadership and endangers public safety. A nightmare in the making. I urge the Mayor to reverse course.
Bowman referred to the violent protests as “non violent” and also blasted police action. He posted on X:
I am outraged by the level of police presence called upon nonviolent student protestors on Columbia and CCNY’s campuses. As an educator who has first hand experience with the over-policing of our schools, this is personal to me.
Bowman was censured by the House of Representatives last year for triggering a fire alarm.
Omar referred to some Jews as “pro-genocide” during a visit to Columbia in the spring. Her college-aged daughter, Isra Hirsi, was arrested at Columbia during the unrest.
The Gaza Encampment was extreme and outrageous conduct. It was illegal. It violated university rules. Its occupants harassed, followed, physically blocked, intimidated, and bullied Jewish students. …
[It] not only consciously disregarded the rights of others, but the impact on the rights of others was the point of the protest: the more disruption [they] could cause for the University and the [students], the more leverage they thought they would have for their agenda.
Plaintiffs Harassed by Protesters
The plaintiffs outlined some of the fear they faced during the encampment to the New York Post. Said one student, identified as “Tim Doe”:
During the protests, I witnessed numerous offensive and antisemitic signs and messages, including antisemitic skunk posters with the Star of David. In one instance, I was walking with my non-Jewish friends when I was singled out because I was wearing my yarmulke. A leader of the pro-Palestinian protest approached our group and confronted me. He singled me out, yelling that I needed to move, and when I refused, he began to shove me out of the way.
Another student, “Eric Doe,” claimed he “felt like he was living under an ominous cloud of doubt and uncertainty as he waited for the protestors or administration’s next move that would further impact his studies and life on campus.”
And “Michael Doe” was allegedly told to “Keep walking Zionist” and was otherwise harassed by the unruly mob.
The two-week long anti-Israel encampment restricted campus access for many students and forced some classes to be held online. Final exams were also severely disrupted by the protest, much of which was not student-led but imported into Columbia by outside anti-Israel groups.
“In a civilized community, one does not call for the obliteration of a major metropolitan area, praise terrorists, or threaten death and destruction upon our classmates and their families, friends, and coreligionists,” the litigation states.
Unfortunately, that’s not the type of community we live in anymore. That’s in part due to inflammatory rhetoric by the likes of AOC, Omar, and Bowman.
