Tipsheet

NY Squad Members Hardest Hit by NYPD's Involvement in Quelling Columbia's Pro-Hamas Protests

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  May 01, 2024 12:15 PM

Late on Tuesday night, the NYPD finally stepped in to quell the pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University. It was a move that drew the panic of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman. The two representatives, as well as fellow Squad members, have defended the terrorist sympathizers at length, with AOC even going after fellow Democrats to further the cause. That the protests had gotten out of control enough to warrant police action didn't seem to matter. 

Even before the NYPD officially stepped in, AOC took to her X account to lament the harm that could come to "any kid" protesting and breaking university rules. Columbia students had been given multiple clear warnings about threats of consequences, including suspensions and expulsions. 

The post that AOC was reposting even referred to Democratic Mayor Eric Adams urging parents to tell their kids to leave "before the situation escalates." This serves as yet another warning that the college students--thus legally adults--had beforehand. 

In the approximately 15 hours since the post has been up, there have been over 20,000 replies mocking AOC, as well as approximately 2,000 quoted reposts.

Many of AOC's posts and reposts from Tuesday night and Wednesday morning took issue with the police presence and how it "looks like barring reporters." 

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A repost from the congresswoman early on Wednesday morning even complained about a video of the NYPD replacing the Palestinian flag with an American one.

Then there's Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who kept referencing his experience in education before he became a congressman.

"Our kids deserve better, our teachers deserve better, and our schools deserve better," one post from Bowman on Tuesday night read. It was as if he were talking about elementary schools rather than private universities where legal adults have to apply and pay significant amounts of money in tuition for the privilege to attend.

Another post lamented "Our kids be[ing] met with guns when using their constitutional right to peacefully assemble." While Bowman's fellow Democrats have made it a show to reference First Amendment rights, many have also now pointed out that those rights don't extend to threatening others.

Further, what we have seen is not about a "right to peacefully assemble," especially as pro-Hamas agitators have broken university policies and have also engaged in a threatening manner towards Jewish students.

Bowman also reposted Axios' Andrew Solender sharing his statement. On his Instagram page, Bowman titled the statement as having to do with "OVER-POLICING AT NYC UNIVERSITIES."

"I am outraged by the level of police presence called upon nonviolent student protestors on Columbia and CCNY’s campuses. As an educator who has first hand experience with the over-policing of our schools, this is personal to me," Bowman said in his statement, yet again bringing up how he was an educator.

"Educational institutions should be spaces to nurture critical thinking skills and learn to work together with diverse communities to enact a more just and peaceful world. The militarization of college campuses, extensive police presence, and arrest of hundreds of students are in direct opposition to the role of education as a cornerstone of our democracy. I call upon the Columbia administration to stop this dangerous escalation before it leads to further harm, and allow the faculty back onto campus so that all parties can collectively come to a solution that centers humanity over hate," his statement continued.

Such a statement leaves out how we are far past "the role of education as a cornerstone of our democracy," given that terrorist sympathizers on campus are impeding their fellow students from receiving an education, as well as endangering their safety. 

It's also likely far past the time to call for "a solution that centers humanity over hate," given the rampant antisemitic nature of these protests against Israel and in favor of Hamas.

A more recent series of posts from Bowman's political X account claimed that student journalists who refused to leave were "doing their profession proud." He also quote reposted someone named Madeline Dupre who framed the situation as one where "Student press are producing incredible coverage as swarms of NYPD riot cops pepper spray, beat and arrest their classmates for protesting genocide." 

Despite Bowman's former role in education indicating he should really know better, he had pulled the fire alarm last year, even when there was no emergency. Such a move would have been met with severe punishment at the school where he had been a principal.

Many of the quoted reposts to his lamentations about "over-policing" referenced that stunt, including fellow New York members of Congress.