Five anonymous students have filed a class-action lawsuit against members of the far-left “Squad,” namely Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Jamaal “Fireman” Bowman (D-NY) (who was defeated in the Democratic primary in June), and the always-charming Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
The filing, which also names about a dozen anti-Israel groups, alleges that the lawmakers incited and encouraged the violent, antisemitic protests that engulfed New York City’s Columbia University in the spring and turned the campus into a virtual war zone.
The anti-police elected representatives criticized law enforcement at the time for their efforts to quell the mayhem:
The trio of radical Democrats were among the “outside champions” who also slammed law enforcement for breaking up the hateful demonstrations — which included masked protesters taking over a campus quad, chanting “Free Palestine!” and burning an Israeli flag and throwing rocks — resulting in the violent April 30 takeover of the school’s Hamilton Hall, according to court papers.
If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and univ presidents.
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. https://t.co/52eAEfbJjq
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 1, 2024
Remember?
CHAOS: Columbia Pro-Hamas Fanatics Storm Hamilton Hall, Barricade Inside and Desecrate Building
Columbia in Chaos: Hundreds of NYPD Officers Move in at University, Use Ladder to Breach Hamilton Hall
Mostly peaceful:
🚨#BREAKING: Protesters have just stormed and overtook the Hamilton Hall at Columbia University Sparking Riot as They Barricade Inside and Break Windows⁰⁰📌#Manhattan | #NewYork⁰⁰At this very moment, hundreds of students and pro-Palestine protesters have just forcefully… pic.twitter.com/PbU04sHSI9
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 30, 2024
The plaintiffs said the campus became unsafe and turned into something that hardly resembled the education environment that many of them (or their parents, more likely) were paying for:
“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,” the students said in the litigation.
The encampment and their cheerleaders “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,” according to the lawsuit.
They described how they were harassed, bullied, and intimidated by the extremists in the “mostly peaceful” protests:
One, a senior identified as “Eric Doe,” said 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.”
“William Doe,” another senior who joined the suit, said his senior design expo was cancelled due to the encampment.
“Michael Doe,” a sophomore, claimed he was told, “Keep walking Zionist” and was followed and screamed by protesters.
“Tim Doe,” also a Jewish sophomore, left campus early “because he did not feel safe.”
“During the protests, I witnessed numerous offensive and antisemitic signs and messages, including antisemitic skunk posters with the Star of David,” he told The Post.
“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.”
Some Columbia students are already gearing up for more action when school starts up again in September. I guess it beats studying for a career, getting a job, or doing anything useful for society.
I say good for these plaintiffs for speaking up for themselves. I hold out some hope that their lawsuit is a success and exacts a measure of accountability from the Squad members and the related hateful groups; I’m not holding my breath, though, because all too often it seems that these days you only face consequences if you’re on the wrong side of the political divide.
