On Monday, October 7, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) staged a walkout on Low Steps in solidarity with Palestine. Meanwhile, Students Supporting Israel held an interactive art installation commemorating hostages held by Hamas.

Content warning: violence

At 11:45 am on Monday, pro-Palestine protesters gathered on Low Steps in a walkout organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) to mark one year since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. On their Instagram, CUAD and BC/CU Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) stated that the demonstration would come “after an entire year of uninterrupted genocide.” This event was a precursor for the larger protest in support of Palestine organized by Within Our Lifetime (WOL). 

Concurrently, Students Supporting Israel (SSI) held an interactive art installation on Butler Lawn, stating on Instagram it was in response to “the one-year anniversary of the most horrific attack against the Jews since the Holocaust.” Bwog inquired to the University about the permissibility of the event. According to a University official, “The group followed the process to request outdoor space for their art installation, and the request was approved.” Pro-Israel demonstrators also engaged in counter-protests against pro-Palestine demonstrators. 

The event took place amid heightened security measures, with Interim President Katrina Armstrong announcing on October 6 that the campus would be closed to non-CUID holders and there would be increased Public Safety presence due to anticipated protests. Although her initial statement inaccurately indicated that neither the University Senate nor the administration had sanctioned the walkout, it was later quietly revised to clarify that the University administration had not been “notified through the process established by the Guidelines to the Rules of University Conduct,” previously stating it was “not registered.” The University Senate directed students to this revision, stating, “The University does not sanction or unsanction protests.” 

Separated by barricades, the two protests stood separately, with the pro-Palestine protests assembling on the east of Low and the pro-Israeli protests assembling on the west of Low. Throughout the afternoon, the two sides continued their demonstrations simultaneously, occasionally drowning out one another. 

Pro-Palestine Walkout

During the walkout, Pro-Palestinian protestors held signs that read “Free Gaza,” “Let Us Mourn In Peace,” “Divest from apartheid, genocide, occupation; invest in community, care, and Harlem,” and “We Will Mourn ALL Our Martyrs.” Protests started by reading the names and ages of Palestinians who had lost their lives since October 7, 2023, over a speaker; this has been part of an ongoing effort since last week to read off all 186,000 names to mourn those who have been killed due to Israeli attacks. After some time, they began to walk in a circle around the platform of the Low Steps, echoing chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” “The people united will never be defeated,” and “This is about honor…This is about liberation.” 

Throughout the hour, protesters erupted in chants and speeches. One speaker, a Palestinian student, emphasized the historical context of October 7, 2023. She stated that the events on October 7 did not occur in a vacuum, and that “Palestinians have been living under siege, occupation, and apartheid while the settler colony of Israel attempts to steal all of our land.” She told a story of her grandmother, who kept a key to her family’s home around her neck, despite being ordered by Israeli soldiers to leave her home, as a gesture of her defiance. The student stressed, “We do not do justice to our people by leaving resistance out of the discussion.” 

The speaker framed the October 7 attacks as a consequence of what she called “over 75 years of genocidal Zionist occupation.” She characterized them as a response to “Palestinian people’s commitment to resist,” reflecting a continuing narrative of defiance against the ongoing “occupation and genocide.” She further described October 7 as a “monumental step in the popular delegitimization” of the State of Israel. Referring to the attacks as the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” she described this day as how Palestinians “took it upon themselves to break down their prison fence” in a symbolic and literal effort to reclaim their homeland. She asserted that Palestinians are more than victims.

Another student shared a poem she had written, using the “people’s mic” method wherein the group repeated her words back to her. In her poem, she reflected, “We are nearing an entire year of genocide which has murdered at least 186,000 Palestinians. Why is the genocide still ongoing and expanding?” and “Why are Palestinians being killed in masses like they’re nothing?” Her words echoed across the crowd, who amplified her message. 

A third speaker, utilizing the “people’s mic,” marked “one year of genocide following the historic Al-Aqsa Flood.” She questioned, “Why do we still stand and protest at Columbia University?” She answered, “This University is a war machine that has killed over 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza.” 

The speaker then drew attention to Columbia’s connections to weapons manufacturers that supply the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), particularly highlighting Lockheed Martin. Currently, Columbia Board of Trustee Jeh Johnson serves on the board of Lockheed Martin. 

“This University is not run by its students, nor by its scholars, nor by its faculty. This University is run by the Board of Trustees,” she declared. The speaker described the conflict, claiming repeated incidents of violence including “children sniped, journalists assassinated, [and] doctors abducted.” She accused Columbia of its complicity in these events and issued a warning to the university: “Columbia, hear us loud. If you do not divest from Zionism, we will escalate pressure against you. We will ensure that when the people hear your name, they hear ‘war profiteers.’ They hear ‘murderer.’”

Following the speech, protesters continued chanting. At about 12:50 pm, protesters made their way out of the enclosed space and walked through the north side of campus from the East side to the West side, and on the way back, controversial pro-Israel Columbia Business School Assistant Professor Shai Davidai stood within the group of protesters stating they were “blocking [his] movement.” Davidai took photos of the protesters’ faces, some of which were posted to his X account. 

After returning to Low Steps, a speaker announced that the group would be joining the “Within Our Lives” protest downtown. As they prepared to leave, the protesters began chanting “I believe that we will win.”

In their Instagram post, CUAD also stressed the importance of protestors taking security measures, advising attendees to wear nondescript clothing and cover any tattoos or piercings that puts them at risk for easy identification. The post said to not swipe CUID “in the hour before or after the rally” and to turn off Columbia Wi-Fi and use encrypted messaging apps like Signal to prevent being tracked. Participants were told that “it is a violation of Columbia’s Rules of Conduct to refuse to present your CUID to a Public Safety Officer”, but to act with caution and not to identify themselves to someone who “cannot identify themselves as a university official”. In addition, protestors were advised to wear masks both to protect from Covid-19 and to avoid surveillance. Such measures are likely in response to Pro-Palestinian protestors being displayed on doxing trucks publically as well as being disciplined by the University over the last year. Pro-Isreal protesters did not wear masks or garb to conceal their identity. 

Pro-Israel Art Installation and Counter-Protest

Monday morning, a large semi-truck delivered an art installation of large milk cartons displaying the hostages taken by Hamas. Milk cartons were previously used to publicize cases of missing children in the 1980s and 1980s. 

The installation’s organizers scanned students’ and faculty’s IDs before letting them inside. Signs included “KIDNAPPED. What if this was you?” next to a mirror. Public Safety directed individuals through the installation, while people were seen draping Israeli flags, praying, and mourning. The “Memory Lane” display included teddy bears blindfolded or fallen over and painted with blood alongside strollers with signs reading “On October 7th, we were massacred” and “3 generations lost” marked with red handprints and painted targets. There were paintings showcasing portraits and messages from supporters, including one with both the United States and Israel flags. There was also an installation titled “Wings of Hope.” At the end, there was a table for people to write their reflections. Notes included, “It could have been me,” “How has it been a year?” and “Bring them home”, referencing the hostages taken by Hamas in the last year. In the middle of the lawn was a large art piece depicting a child held back by chains and holding two teddy bears. 

 Pro-Israel public figure and Business School Professor Shai Davidai spoke, dismissing the pro-Palestine protesters’ chants as “stupid” and calling for a moment to mourn the attacks on October 7. He claimed “the only people from Gaza who were killed on October 7 were terrorists who were looking to murder Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, the only Palestinians that were murdered-that were killed on October 7 were killed out of self-defense.” According to October 7 reports from The New York Times, Israel retaliated to the initial attacks “with major strikes across the blockaded Gaza Strip, leveling multistory buildings, including a residential building with approximately 100 units.” 

In a call to action, Davidai stated, “We are here to stay, and we are here to tell those who drape themselves in terrorist regalia”—pointing to the Pro-Palestinian protesters—“and the administration that allows them to do so, that we are not going anywhere.” In an example scenario from Columbia’s updated discrimination policy, singling out a group by commenting on characteristics associated with a perceived connection to a Protected Class, such as specific regalia, may constitute Discriminatory Harassment. This behavior could violate the policy if it “creates or contributes to a Hostile Environment based on the group members’ perceived connection to a Protected Class.” Shai Davidai also has over 50 harassment complaints filed against him as of April 2024. 

One faculty member said the pro-Palestine protests called for “boisterous violence against us,” gesturing to the other group of protesters gathered on Low. Israeli faculty members and students also shared testimonies of personal connections, losses, and their experiences since last October 7. Another speaker said that “there is a time and place for what is happening over there,” again referencing the pro-Palestine protesters, but “that time and place is not today.”

One Israeli-American student discussed how he took part in war efforts in Israel as a part of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and as a protester at Columbia, stating that “after going back and forth from the IDF to Columbia, many, many times,” he realized “war is everywhere we go.” And claiming that the crowd must assert, “I am Jewish, I am Israel, and I’m not going anywhere.” He finished by stating, “May the events of the seventh of October never be forgotten, and may the many names and faces remind you that we all have a lot of work to do.”

SSI also led chants such as “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “The people of Israel live.” Additionally, they sang songs to show solidarity with Israel. The pro-Israel program lasted about an hour, disbanding at about 12:30 pm. Afterward, some members of the group stayed on Low Steps, singing the United States national anthem and playing Israeli music from a loudspeaker while flying the Israeli flag. The art installation was removed around 4 pm.

Protesters cover image via Bwog Staff

Pro-Palestine protesters via Bwog Staff

Art installation via Bwog Staff

Shai Davidai via Bwog Staff