Anti-Israel activists establish ‘Intifada’ tent camp at state-funded NYC college

Anti-Israel protesters established an “intifada” encampment at the City College of New York, a state-funded institution, on Thursday. They hoisted a Palestinian flag over a quad.

The encampment took shape on Thursday morning, and by the afternoon, the Convent Avenue campus was adorned with flags and signs, according to footage from independent reporter Talia Jane.

An anti-Israel protest camp emerged on the campus of state-funded City College of New York Thursday. Instagram / @cuny4palestine

City College is on spring break until April 30. Instagram / @cuny4palestine

“Palestine calls this University Intifada,” declared Within Our Lifetime organizer Nerdeen Kiswani through a megaphone, as reported by indie reporter Oliya Scootercaster.

Kiswani passionately asserted, “We have a right to control where our tuition goes and that it should never go to oppressing any people anywhere!” This fiery speech was shared on the group’s social media page.

City College of New York students set up tents in an anti-Israel protest. Reuters was not clear if all the protesters were affiliated with the school. Instagram / @cuny4palestine

Several signs within the encampment demanded that the City University of New York (CUNY) system divest from Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Despite NYPD officers monitoring the demonstration, the atmosphere remained largely calm.

A student organizer revealed that the school’s public safety personnel and the NYPD had requested the removal of the tents. However, they defiantly stated, “We aren’t going anywhere, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” as seen in a video by Talia Jane.

City College is on spring break until April 30, according to the academic calendar.

It remains unclear whether all the protesters were affiliated with the school. However, CUNY Professor James Hoff noted on social media that “lots of faculty and union members” were present.

Concurrently, in Chelsea, dozens of individuals, many wearing Palestinian headscarves, stormed into a building at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) on Thursday afternoon, as captured in a video from Citizen Free Press.

Campus security struggled to prevent additional protesters from entering the academic building as demonstrators established a makeshift camp area in the lobby.

FIT, a famous institution for aspiring designers and fashion professionals, receives state funding through the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

The developments at both City College and FIT highlight the passionate responses and activism surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

These events underscore the complex intersection of political tensions, academic institutions, and student activism in the broader discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

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