More than 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Columbia University in New York on Tuesday to protest against former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who was at the university for a speaking engagement.
The protest comes over ongoing tensions on the campus between supporters of Israel and opponents of the Gaza assault by Israel that has led to an almost complete destruction of the enclave, with over 47,000 deaths of mostly civilian women and children.
Protesters voiced their opposition to Bennett, known for his far-right political views, with the Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition calling his appearance a message that the university values some voices over others. Despite the presence of protesters, many wearing Palestinian keffiyehs or masks, none spoke to AFP journalists.
Police were on hand to manage the event, separating the pro-Palestinian protesters from a smaller group of pro-Israel counter-demonstrators. The protest occurred over growing tensions regarding anti-Semitism, with the Trump administration threatening to withhold federal funding from the university.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, declaring that any university allowing “illegal protests” would face a halt in federal funding, with the threat of expulsions and arrests for involved students.
