On Wednesday (25th October), a series of college and university walkouts in support of Palestinians caused a security scare at a Manhattan campus. Jewish students at Cooper Union College in the United States were kept locked in the library on Wednesday night by a security team as a precaution against a pro-Palestinian mob that attempted to burst through the doors.
Since the 7th October terror attacks by Hamas and the subsequent war between Israel and the terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip, there have been several anti-Jewish and pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world. The latest of these instances took place at Cooper Union in New York.
A crowd gathered behind the door of The Cooper Union library, chanting “Free Palestine,” and attempting to smash down the door as Jewish students were stuck inside. Later, the Jewish students stranded in the library were rescued via the back door. A video of this incident has gone viral on social media.
Jewish students at Cooper Union College have been locked inside the library for their own safety as a mob of anti Israeli protesters block the doors.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 25, 2023
Where are the police?!!!pic.twitter.com/Uv4CFRqGzm
Before proceeding to the library, the protesting group marched straight to the president’s office, where he was present and permitted them to stay on. Several Jewish students can be seen in a video stuck in the library while a crowd gathers behind the door and chants “Free Palestine.” The police forces finally escorted the students through tunnels using a back door.
A security team at Cooper College in New York City, US, locked Jewish students in the library for their safety against a pro-Palestinian group that tried to break down the door against them.https://t.co/LAwWTolIOp#Israel #Palestine #Hamas pic.twitter.com/0pFzxoH53X
— Geeta Mohan گیتا موہن गीता मोहन (@Geeta_Mohan) October 26, 2023
When asked about reports that some Jewish students were trapped in a Cooper Union library because they were terrified during the march, school administrators indicated the reports were false. After the protests were over, the college president and the victim students met with NYPD officials, the regional head of the Anti-Defamation League, and municipal officials.
Jacob – one of the stranded students – said, “I genuinely don’t know what would have happened if the doors were left open.” Another student Gila said, “It was tense; people were nervous. The school fails to make good on their promises to students to provide a safe and productive learning environment.”
This is not the first pro-Palestinian protest on an American campus. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) planned a “National Day of Resistance” across American college campuses on 12th October. In a “Day of Resistance toolkit” published by the SJP, it was said that “students in exile are part of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement” and urged its followers to rally because “the Zionist entity is fragile, and Palestinian resistance is alive.”
SJP rallies were held on several US campuses on the so-called “National Day of Resistance,” including the University of Washington (Seattle), Columbia University, the University of North Carolina, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern Florida (USF), University of Virginia, and the University of Illinois.
Hamas attacks Israel
On 7th October, thousands of missiles were fired by Hamas into Israel while more than 2,500 assistants broke through the border into the country.
Over 1400 people were killed in the terror attack including numerous infants. More than 220 persons of various ages were kidnapped and taken as prisoners back to Gaza and only four of them have been released so far.
Israel has launched heavy attacks in Gaza and vowed to eliminate the terror organisation in retaliation and informed that terror targets are being hit while attempting to prevent civilian losses. More than a million people in Gaza have been ordered to leave the northern portion of the Strip in anticipation of a ground invasion.
