
<p>Leader of the oft-antisemitic &#8220;Squad,&#8221; Democratic Representative Alexander Ocasio-Cortez has slammed Columbia University for calling the NYPD to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters on campus.</p>



<p>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hit out at Columbia University for its decision to call the police on the pro-Palestine protesters taking over the main lawn of the campus.</p>



<p>“Calling in police enforcement on non-violent demonstrations of young students on campus is an escalatory, reckless, and dangerous act,” she wrote in a post on X, formally Twitter.</p>



<p>&#8220;It represents a heinous failure of leadership that puts people&#8217;s lives at risk. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms,&#8221; said the member of Congress following a threat from the University to call in the NYPD on protesters who refused to disperse.</p>



<p>In an email to the Columbia community on Tuesday evening, president Minouche Shafix gave the group, named the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, an ultimatum: dismantle or face being cleared out.</p>



<p>For the second time now, the University has extended the deadline for the students protesting against Israel’s war on Gaza to clear their campus encampments. The first extension was until Wednesday, 4/24, at 8 AM; that deadline has now been extended to Friday, 4/26.</p>



<p>Dozens of counter-terrorism and strategic response officers remain stationed outside the gates of Columbia University with zip ties, awaiting compliance or another extension and to hopefully serve as a deterrent for the protests in the Encampment to become more violent.</p>



<p>On Tuesday, more than two dozen Republican senators penned a letter urging the attorney general to intervene.</p>



<p>“You need to take action to restore order and protect Jewish students on our college campuses,” the senators said.</p>



<p>Republicans Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton said that the National Guard should be called in.</p>



<p>In the unprecedented step that AOC was objecting to, nearly a week ago, Ms Shafix enlisted city police in riot gear to arrest more than 100 activists who refused to leave the tent village.</p>



<p>On Monday, a Jewish professor accused staff at the University of being &#8220;scared&#8221; to stand up to pro-Palestinian protesters after he was denied entry to campus over safety concerns. Shai Davidai, an assistant business professor, claimed his keycard to enter the main campus was deactivated by university authorities when he tried to hold a “stand up to terrorism” counter-protest on Monday.</p>

AOC Slams Columbia for Calling Cops on Pro-Palestinian Protesters
