Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter revealed that she was essentially forced to leave Columbia University’s Barnard College after being suspended due to her involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
Hundreds of students have taken over Columbia’s campus for several days, expressing their discontent with the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. They are advocating for a cease-fire in the conflict and calling on Congress to halt the provision of military aid to Israel.
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Isra Hirsi, 21, faced arrest along with over 100 fellow students after university authorities ordered their detainment on charges of trespassing due to their participation in the protests. The number of demonstrations has continued to escalate since then. Furthermore, Isra Hirsi was among three students who received suspensions from Barnard, which resulted in the loss of her access to essential resources such as food and housing.
In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Hirsi shared the moment when she received the notice of her suspension.
“We immediately informed the camp about the situation. Since there was a large number of Barnard students at the camp, we wanted to let them know that we had been evicted from our space and officially suspended,” she explained.
Shortly after the suspensions were implemented, the authorities proceeded to make arrests. A total of 113 students were apprehended and transported to a nearby police station via bus.
“When I arrived at 1 Police Plaza, my roommates had kindly brought me a bag of clothes, knowing that I was facing eviction,” she shared. “As we were going through our emails, we came across a message stating that we had only 15 minutes to retrieve our belongings, and we would need to be accompanied by a public safety escort.”
“I’m not sure when I’ll be able to return home, or if I’ll ever be able to,” she expressed. “I haven’t received an official eviction notice or a ‘move out’ email, but they’ve simply told me that I can’t enter, though I’m not exactly sure what that entails.”
“I only have four shirts and two pairs of pants. It’s pretty crazy that only Barnard students are being evicted,” she continued.
In the aftermath of the suspension, the issue of food became a pressing concern.
“I’m unable to go to the dining hall. I reached out to them via email, explaining that I heavily rely on campus meals and my dining plan,” she expressed. “Their response was rather disappointing. They suggested I pick up a prepackaged bag of food, but only after a long 48-hour wait since my suspension. There was no additional food assistance or support provided.”
“The students at Columbia University still have the opportunity to access their homes and a dining hall,” she explained. “While they are limited in their ability to go elsewhere, they can at least return to the comfort of their own homes and enjoy meals at the dining hall.”
According to Hirsi, Barnard has taken a strong stance against the protesting students, which differs from the response of the university as a whole.
I have reached out to Barnard for comment, and I am awaiting their response.
Campus protests inspired by the Columbia students have emerged at various universities across the country, including New York University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Miami University of Ohio. Despite facing opposition from political leaders from all parties, these protests continue to gain momentum.
The Biden administration strongly condemned the protests on Sunday, categorizing them as “blatantly antisemitic” and asserting that they are fostering “calls for violence.”
Many of the students participating in the protests are Jewish, and they strongly reject any accusations of antisemitism made against their movement.
Protest leaders expressed their frustration with the media’s focus on controversial individuals who do not accurately represent their movement. In a statement released on Sunday, they stated, “We feel misrepresented by a politically motivated mob, and it is disheartening to see these distractions overshadow our true intentions.”
