Jewish students at a New York City college were locked inside a school library on Wednesday as a pro-Palestinian rally moved through the building, with protestors banging on the doors and chanting ‘free, free Palestine,’ video shows.
Video of the students in the library made the rounds on social media, on Wednesday afternoon.
In one video, protestors are seen outside the library as Jewish students sit at a table and attempt to study.
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A pro-Palestinian protest moves through Cooper Union in New York City on Wednesday, as Jewish students remained in the library, which was reportedly locked for their safety. (Credit: Taylor Roslyn Lent)
On the other side of the glass, students are seen holding up signs protesting Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
Jake Novak, the former media director at the Israeli Consulate in New York, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that several Jewish students were locked in the school library at about 5:15 p.m.
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“My sources tell me several Jewish students [at Cooper Union] are currently locked in the school library as a [pro] Hamas rally outside of the Cooper Union building learnt [sic] the Jews were afraid and sitting in the library, then brought the protest inside and are barricading all exits,” he posted. “Police have been called for 40 min and are afraid to get involved. Security locked the students in as they are worried they cannot protect the Jews [right now].
He also shared video of the Jewish students standing in the library as banging could be heard coming from outside.
Just before 6 p.m., Novak shared that the “besieged” Jewish students were safe and were led out of the library through tunnels.
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The New York City Police Department did not immediately respond to inquiries about the matter and Novak’s claims about the police being “afraid to get involved.”
Still, City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino shared her opinion on the video making the rounds on social media.
“No big deal, just a few Jewish kids barricaded in a library while a mob tries to break the doors down to get them,” she said. “At a prestigious university in New York City. In 2023. Things are going swimmingly in our progressive city.”
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When asked about the reports of several Jewish students being locked in a library at Cooper Union because they were afraid during the rally, school officials said the reports were not true.
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“The Library was closed for approximately 20 minutes while student protestors moved through our building,” the official said. “Some students who were previously in the library remained during this time. All students have now dispersed.”
