At Columbia University, students at a pro-Palestine protest reported suffering from burning eyes, headaches, and nausea after being allegedly attacked with 'Skunk,' a chemical substance used by the Israeli military. Israeli ex-soldier Menajem Peres has been identified as the alleged assailant. The incident, which occurred amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, prompted the first suspension of a student group in the university's history, according to Safiya O'Brien from SJP. Columbia has sent a campus-wide email about the incident and banned the alleged Israeli ex-soldiers from campus. The New York City Police Department is investigating the attack as serious crimes, possibly hate crimes. Journalist prem_thakker reported that affected students have sought hospital care and criticized the university for not reaching out. The incident, initially reported on TikTok, has been described by students as smelling like 'raw sewage and decaying carcass.'
Universities must defend against bad actors who conflate suppression of speech with safety, because once it becomes acceptable to silence one form of political speech, the rights of everyone to speak and dissent are at risk. https://t.co/I8GSMUBldW
"[The attack] did not happen in a vacuum, but in a sustained hostile environment for Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestinian students fostered by the school for months" - Maryam Alwan, Columbia student https://t.co/5SiXcCqAAi
A pro-Palestinian rally outside a university career fair in California turned into a violent confrontation Tuesday after campus police barricaded the entrance to the protesters. Eight people were arrested. https://t.co/BajuWWbbXd
Don’t care whose side, physically or chemically attacking people exercising their right to free speech is wrong and must be deterred. “At Columbia, Student Protesters Say They Were Attacked With Chemicals” https://t.co/qkIRTeoah6
Columbia University students say they have not been given any support after being sprayed with skunk water at a pro-Palestine protest. SJP Columbia student Maryam Alwan says that police were present "without doing anything to protect the protestors" https://t.co/MWxVjFNcb8
Columbia Uni bars people accused of spraying pro-Palestine protesters https://t.co/8HLqTI6skk
🔵Columbia students recount spray attack at pro-Palestinian protest Smelled like “raw sewage and decaying carcass,” students and faculty told the Daily News. “It felt like the university was unresponsive to what happened and there was a lot of denial.” https://t.co/K2pGqy8fNX
Speaking to MEE, SJP Columbia student Maryam Alwan says the recent skunk water attack "did not happen in a vacuum, but in a sustained hostile environment for Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestinian students fostered by the school for months" https://t.co/TPMBzdXuZI
Israel is opening another front — against students at Columbia University. https://t.co/Xgv3rH5m93
On January 19, a protest against the Israeli genocide in Gaza was attacked by counter-protesters using the chemical agent, known as “Skunk.” The university bears full responsibility for all violence against the pro-Palestine movement on campus. https://t.co/6XfwmTVZvn
'Negligence': Columbia University students furious at administration after skunk water doused on protesters https://t.co/AwNsPPbmUj https://t.co/1RHOkh0SIv
NEW: Investigation opened after Columbia students report "chemical attack" at pro-Palestine protest https://t.co/I3CiI2c1Vw
University of Oregon: yet ANOTHER 'Students for Justice in Palestine' (SJP) rally turned violent as two individuals were arrested after allegedly trying to storm the Jewish Hillel student center. The violent protestors were also screaming, comparing the police & IDF to the KKK. https://t.co/HhoEDi8fy6
Columbia has banned from campus the individuals alleged to have sprayed protestors with a chemical last Friday. https://t.co/13GAOdvZyR
The pro-Hamas mob, led by Students for Justice in Palestine, chants in support of the Houthis - an Iranian-backed terror group that openly calls for attakcs on America. https://t.co/wOhUscCqNc
TikTok has been reporting this for days. National media is just starting to report about it. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators targeted by apparent stink bomb at Columbia University https://t.co/lEnHw9Bsfm
🚨 Update: @Columbia has sent a campus-wide email regarding the alleged assault of pro-Palestine students with chemical weapons by Israeli ex-soldiers, who have been banned from campus https://t.co/PgbK2fWOaO
🚨 Update: @Columbia has sent a campus-wide email regarding the alleged assault of pro-Palestine students with chemical weapons by foreign ex-soldiers, who have been banned from campus https://t.co/q9uEOYlVDI
NEW: Following our story, Columbia provost sends new campus email. "The New York City Police Department is taking the lead role in investigating what appear to have been serious crimes, possibly hate crimes." Alleged perpetrators banned from campus as investigation continues. https://t.co/Tf0nnWggFD https://t.co/1fheFP9CWf
.@prem_thakker spoke with students at @Columbia who said they were chemically attacked at a rally for Gaza on Friday. They said university administrators have yet to make contact with them. https://t.co/X5dKRe2V1k
NEW: I spoke with Columbia students who were chemically attacked on campus. They've gone to the hospital. Their eyes burn, heads ache, chests hurt. They say administrators haven't reached out to them. Students allege the perpetrators are tied to the IDF. https://t.co/HKPvQyH2px
Demonstrators at Columbia University say they were attacked with a stink bomb during a gathering in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. https://t.co/YpvNQYpKu3
ISRAELI SOLDIER MENAJEM PERES IDENTIFIED AS ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED COLUMBIA STUDENTS WITH CHEMICAL WEAPONS https://t.co/cWgoGBIdds
“This is the first time that a student group on campus has been suspended in such a manner in university history.” Safiya O’Brien from the Columbia University’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group says they will continue fighting for the Palestinian cause ⤵️ https://t.co/vGGOQFpi7y
Dozens of students reported burning eyes, headaches, and nausea after a substance commonly used by the Israeli military was allegedly deployed at a Columbia campus protest. https://t.co/XSUm0GP8GK