News/Commentary

AOC, other ‘squad’ members sued for ‘inciting’ anti-Israel encampment at Columbia

August 4, 2024 | | Print Article

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was hit with a class action lawsuit accusing her of inciting anti-Israel protests and encampments at Columbia University earlier this year.

That is according to Fox News, and the good news for the self-avowed socialist Democrat is that she’ll have company. Fellow radicals Rep. Jamal Bowman (D) of New York and Ilhan Omar (D) of Minnesota were also named in the legal action filed by five anonymous students, including two Jewish students. The network reported that a number of anti-Israel organizing groups were also named in the lawsuit.

“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,” read the lawsuit.

The lawsuit notes that all three lawmakers trespassed on the campus in April “and participated in the encampment” when access to campus was supposed to be limited to those with student IDs, the Post reported.

The protests spread across campuses in America, with Jewish students prevented from attending class in some circumstances — in many cases, faculty joined in on the antisemitic protests.

One of the Jewish students, identified only as “Tim Doe,” spoke with the New York Post about his experience.

“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,” he added.

Citing safety concerns, Columbia was forced to resort to online classes and limited access to campus buildings as students prepared for final exams. The university, like other schools, canceled graduation ceremonies due to the unrest.

“Those were real damages sustained by the 36,000 students at Columbia who chose to obey university rules, go to class, and pursue their education, only to be frustrated at the finish line by the … acts of their classmates and professors, with the assistance and encouragement of outside activists,” the lawsuit says.

Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:

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