US: New York College Barricades Jewish Students as Pro-Palestinian Protesters Bang Doors – News18

A handful of Jewish students hailing from a private college in New York City’s Manhattan neighbourhood barricaded inside the library on Wednesday when pro-Palestinian protesters blew past security and reached the building’s doors.

Cooper Union’s senior recalled the incident, a video of which is making rounds on the internet. “When they started banging on the door, my heart started pounding. I was crying. I think if the doors weren’t locked — I don’t know what would have happened,” the student, who asked to remain anonymous, told The New York Post.

“I don’t want to speculate what would’ve happened. It just makes me too nervous. I was absolutely terrified in that moment.” The report said that dozens of students carrying Palestinian flags and “Zionism Hands off our Universities” signs breezed past security’s feeble attempts to stop them from climbing the stairs as they chanted “Free Palestine.”

Several Jewish students huddled inside the college library called the police and their relatives. The US newspaper said it was not clear whether any officers entered the inside of the building during the protest, though the student witness claims the police never arrived because the university told them not to get involved.

Reportedly, no arrests were made and the demonstrators left the building without any incident. According to NYP, the 11 Jewish students opted to stay inside and ride out the protests. When they walked outside, the anti-Israeli protestors were standing silently outside displaying their signs.

This incident comes as Muslim and Jewish civil rights groups say they’ve seen large increases in reports of harassment, bias and sometimes physical assaults against members of their communities since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

The Anti-Defamation League and the Center on American-Islamic Relations saw increases in reported instances, many involving violence or threats against protesters at rallies in support of Israel or in support of Palestinians over the last two weeks as war broke out between Israel and Hamas. Other attacks and harassment reported by the groups were directed at random Muslim or Jewish people in public.

(With agency inputs)