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Groups are calling for the expulsion of students at Georges Washington University who projected messages onto the school’s library in support of Hamas ‘ barbaric assault on Israel. Messages that read ‘Glory to our martyrs,’ ‘Divestment from Zionist genocide now’ and ‘Free Palestine from the river to the sea,’ according to the activist group StopAntisemitism. It is the latest horrifying instance of student groups supporting terrorism across college campuses.
In a message accompanying pictures of the students’ horrifying act, the group explicitly stated: ‘We call on the President of George Washington University to immediately expel those involved.’ StopAntisemitism later posted a video purporting to show campus police confronting the four students who made the projection. ‘We’re not damaging any property… It’s not physically on the side of the wall,’ one of the students tells an officer.
An officer explains they are not going to argue with the students and tells them that they have been in front of the library for an hour. The four students can be seen wearing masks and refusing to move, surrounded by projection equipment. This isn’t the first incident to occur on the Washington, DC, campus, on October 11, a group of students held a “vigil” in memory of Hamas ‘martyrs.’
‘The four students responsible for the pro-terrorist light show are now being confronted by police. They refuse to move and continue to argue with the police. Unbelievable,’ StopAntisemitism wrote on X. Among those who responded to the George Washington University student’s shocking act was Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee who called on officials at the school to ‘do the right thing NOW.’
‘These are genocidal messages displayed on a building at George Washington University. If the students responsible for these messages aren’t severely punished by GWU, something is terribly wrong. Genocide isn’t hip, cute, or in any way acceptable. GWU—do the right thing NOW!,’ Lee wrote. In the aftermath of the October attacks, GWU president Ellen Granberg wrote in a letter the school would offer support to all of those affected by the violence. ‘My message to our community stressed the importance of coming together and caring for one another, especially those who are Israeli, Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, or connected to the region and this war,’ Granberg wrote.
Earlier this year, school officials were roundly criticized for standing behind a psychology professor accused of antisemitism by students after a review by an outside law firm cleared her of the allegations. The probe was launched after a complaint was filed against Professor Lara Sheehi, who allegedly told students in her diversity class they were Islamophobic for using the term ‘terrorist attack.’ Israel advocacy group StandWithUs filed the claim on behalf of Jewish students who alleged Sheehi told them ‘It’s not your fault you were born in Israel,’ and said the presence of Jewish students was ‘violent.’
The university shared the findings of the firm’s report, which stated there was ‘no evidence that the discourse crossed the line,’ and said StandWithUs had an ‘expansive view of the definition of antisemitism,’ according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Colleges across the country have put out statements on the war. Many have faced criticism for not going far enough in condemning Hamas’ attack, or for failing to condemn civilian deaths in Gaza, or for leaving out context and history from the region.
Earlier this month at Columbia University, the campus had to be shut for a day as a safety measure as hundreds attended dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies. Some students were angry that a statement from the university president did not go far enough to acknowledge Palestinian deaths. At Columbia University, the campus was closed Thursday as a safety measure as hundreds attended dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies. Some students were angry that a statement from the university president did not go far enough to acknowledge Palestinian deaths.
At Yale University, ‘Free Palestine’ messages were written in chalk around campus one night. The following night, some students put up posters of Israelis taken hostage with the word ‘Kidnapped.’ There was also controversy over social media posts by a professor of American studies, Zareena Grewal, who wrote after the Hamas attack: ‘Settlers are not civilians. This is not hard.’ A petition circulated demanding her removal; Grewal did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement, the university said it ‘is committed to freedom of expression’ and Grewal’s comments on personal accounts ‘represent her own views.’
Some of the most notable recent disputes have come at Harvard University, where the Palestine Solidarity Committee student group released a statement holding Israel ‘entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,’ cosigned by a few dozen other student organizations. At least one student had a job offer rescinded as a result of the statement. Former Harvard President Lawrence Summers, who is Jewish, was critical of university leadership for appearing ‘at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.’
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