A pro-Palestine protester at Columbia has provoked ridicule after she demanded the university helps give food to activists who are occupying parts of the campus.
The protester, who is part of a group illegally occupying Hamilton Hall at the prestigious New York university, told reporters outside the building on Tuesday that the university should allow supplies to be brought in.
She was identified as Johannah King-Slutzky, a PhD student at the university.
Ms King-Slutzky called the provisions for the activists – who are protesting over Israel’s war against Hamas and occupation of Gaza – “basic humanitarian aid”.
“Like, could people please have a glass of water?’’ Ms King-Slutzky told reporters.
“Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation or get severely ill even if they disagree with you? If the answer is no, then you should allow basic… I mean, it’s crazy to say because we’re on an Ivy League campus, but this is like basic humanitarian aid we’re asking for,’’ she said, according to footage posted on X.
Reporter grills Columbia student after she demands the university help feed protestors occupying Hamilton Hall:
“It seems like you’re saying, ‘we want to be revolutionaries, we want to take over this building, now would you please bring us some food’.” pic.twitter.com/vNczSAM4T1
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 30, 2024
A reporter then replied: “It seems like you’re sort of saying: ‘We want to be revolutionaries, we want to take over this building, now would you please bring us some food and water.’’’
Ms King-Slutzky replied: “Nobody’s asking them to bring anything.
“We’re asking them to not violently stop us from bringing in basic humanitarian aid.’’
Ms King-Slutzky then clarified that she was not sure if the university had tried to stop supplies being brought to the protesters.
“We are looking for a commitment from them that they will not stop it,’’ she said. “I do not know to what extent it has been attempted. But we’re looking for a commitment.’’
She also said that she believed the university was obliged to provide food to any student occupiers who had paid for a meal plan as part of their college fees.
On her website, Ms King-Slutzky calls herself a “video editor and full-service digital comms expert for progressive and leftist causes”
Earlier on Tuesday, videos of people passing food to women inside a gate at Columbia were shared online.
Riot police on Tuesday night moved in on protesters at Columbia who had occupied Hamilton Hall and flown Palestine flags from its windows.
They renamed it Hind Hall after a six-year-old they said had been killed in Gaza “at the hands of the genocidal Israeli state”.
The protests have been raging at the university for almost two weeks and have spread to campuses in more than two dozen states in the US.
President Biden on Tuesday accused the group at Columbia of hate speech and said their occupation was “wrong”.
Officials at Columbia have accused activists of vandalism, including breaking doors and windows.
Source Agencies
