AOC, Squad members sued for 'inciting' anti-Israel protests at Columbia University
Democratic U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Jamaal Bowman of New York are facing a class-action lawsuit in which they are accused of "inciting and encouraging" the anti-Israeli protest encampment at Columbia University and harassment of Jewish students.
Five anonymous plaintiffs filed the lawsuit against the three members of the Squad, an informal group of far-left members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and also named at least a dozen anti-Israel organizations, according to The New York Post.
"The Gaza Encampment was extreme and outrageous conduct," the lawsuit stated. "It was illegal. It violated university rules. Its occupants harassed, followed, physically blocked, intimidated, and bullied Jewish students."
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Earlier this year, anti-Israel protesters set up a "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University in opposition to Israel's military offensive in Gaza, kicking off a wave of similar demonstrations on campuses throughout the country.
Some protesters praised Hamas, the terror group responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of over 1,220 people in southern Israel. The demonstrators took over a building on campus, and the school was forced to switch to remote learning for a time because students, particularly Jewish students, did not feel safe on campus.
"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 lawsuit reads.
Two of the five students who filed the lawsuit are Jewish, and all five of the students said that they were too afraid to reveal their identities. The lawsuit argues that Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Bowman acted as "outside champions" by encouraging the anti-Israel protest at Columbia University.
All three lawmakers visited the encampment in April during a time when access to campus was limited to those with student IDs, according to The New York Post. At times, the lawmakers also issued statements in support of the anti-Israel demonstrators.
In April, both Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez released statements on X condemning the arrest of hundreds of anti-Israel protesters after the university was forced to call law enforcement.
The lawmakers were commenting on the arrests that took place after demonstrators took over Hamilton Hall, with activists smashing windows and using furniture to form a barricade.
Omar also drew criticism for a statement she made after visiting the encampment in April that implied Jewish students opposed to the anti-Israel protests on campus are "pro-genocide."
"We should not have to tolerate antisemitism or bigotry for all Jewish students, whether they are pro-genocide or anti-genocide," Omar said at the time.
In their suit, the plaintiffs argue the supporters of the campus protesters "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."
An unnamed Jewish plaintiff referred to as "Tim Doe" said he witnessed "offensive and antisemitic signs and messages" during the anti-Israel protest on campus, including posters depicting a skunk and 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," Tim Doe said. "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 unnamed student involved in the suit, a senior referred to 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."
The offices of Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Bowman did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.
Earlier this year, Omar's daughter, Isra Hirsi, was one of 100 people arrested after Columbia University President Minouche Shafik authorized police to clear the camp. The demonstrators later resettled the anti-Israel encampment. Hirsi is an organizer with Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.
The daughter of the Minnesota congresswoman was suspended from Barnard College, a school partnered with Columbia University, following her arrest. In an April 19 X post, Omar stated that she is "enormously proud" of Hirsi.
"She has always led with courage and compassion, from organizing a statewide school walk out on the 20th anniversary of Columbine at the age of 15, to leading the biggest youth climate rally at our nation's Capitol at 16, and now pushing her school to stand against genocide," Omar wrote.
Bowman, who has developed a reputation as a staunch critic of Israel, lost his primary race last month in New York's 16th Congressional District to fellow Democrat George Latimer, who has expressed support for Israel. The district encompasses a portion of the Bronx and the southern half of Westchester County.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
