A handful of Jewish Cooper Union students barricaded themselves inside the university’s library on Wednesday as pro-Palestinian protesters bypassed security and aggressively banged on the building’s doors.
A Jewish senior at the East Village institution recounted the terrifying moment she observed protesters. throw anti-Zionist posters against the window and shouting “anti-Semitic rhetoric” from just a few feet away.
“When they started knocking on the door, my heart started pounding. I was crying. “I think if the doors weren’t closed, I don’t know what would have happened,” the student, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Post.
“I don’t want to speculate what would have happened. He just makes me too nervous. He was absolutely terrified at that moment.”
The protesters, carrying Palestinian flags and signs reading “Zionism do not touch our universities,” had scheduled the demonstration for 1 pm in front of the 7 E. 7th St. building when they decided to advance inside.
It seemed as if they were heading to the office of university president Laura Spark to demand that she condemn Israel’s attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip when they headed to the library, the student said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated, pushing signs against the glass and banging on the doors of the Cooper Union library. JakeyKluger The NYPD was at the scheduled protest the entire time.X / @JakeyKluger
The group of several dozen protesters rushed past weak security attempts to stop them from climbing the stairs while chanting “Free Palestine.” video shows.
Security on the seventh level of the library closed the doors upon hearing the group approaching, preventing them from entering, but not stopping them from banging on the walls and continuing their chants.
Several of the 11 Jewish students crowded inside the Cooper Union Library called 911 or contacted family members who called police for help.
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The NYPD was stationed at the rally the entire time, a spokesperson said.
No arrests or citations were issued and protesters left the building without incident.
One elderly Jewish man recalled being “absolutely terrified” as the demonstration moved toward the building.@StopAntisemites/
It is unclear if any officers entered the building during the demonstration, although the student witness claims the police never arrived because the university told them not to get involved.
Instead, a school administrator offered to discreetly escort students to the back entrance of the building, which Sparks allegedly opted for herself upon learning that protesters were approaching her.
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“If they were scared, if the president was so scared that she left the building, then the police should have been called,” the student said.
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“Why would they leave the students in the building without police protection when the school president who was also attacked left?”
The 11 Jewish students chose to stay inside and weather the protests.
When they came out, the pro-Palestinian protesters stood outside silently showing their signs.
According to the university’s media relations manager, the school closed the library for approximately 20 minutes as the protest moved through the building.
“Some students who were previously in the library stayed during this time,” Kim Newman said in an email.
Newman did not immediately confirm the student’s claims that the university prevented police from intervening in the demonstration once it moved indoors or whether Sparks escaped from protesters.
Although she admitted she wasn’t sure if protesters were trying to break through the closed doors, the senior said she was disappointed by the university’s actions.
“I think, honestly, we’re all scared. We don’t feel comfortable going back to school tomorrow,” she said.
“I thought it was crazy that once they got to the security guards, they still didn’t want the police to come in. So that doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t make sense to me that once the doors were closed, meaning they clearly felt we were in danger, they still wouldn’t let the police in… It’s confusing to me that once [the president] We left, we were still there and they didn’t let the police in.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn