Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and daughter Isra Hirsi (Image: X)
Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), recently revealed that she was among three students suspended from Barnard College after she participated in a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University.
In a statement posted on X, Hirsi identified herself as an organizer with Columbia University Apartheid Divest. This group advocates for the university to divest from “companies complicit in genocide.”
“I just received notice that I am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide,” she wrote on Thursday morning.
Currently a junior, Hirsi emphasized that she had never faced any disciplinary action or warnings from Barnard College before this incident. The protest, which took place on the university’s quad, led to several arrests. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik sent a letter to the New York police requesting assistance in removing the crowd and accusing the approximately 100 protesters of disrupting university operations, violating policies and damaging campus property.
The demonstrations began on Wednesday while Shafik testified before Congress. In the hearing, she was criticized for allegedly failing to address instances of antisemitic rhetoric among students. Shafik stated that ensuring a discrimination-free learning environment for Jewish students had been a significant issue at the university since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Due to the dueling protests between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups, the campus was placed on lockdown on Wednesday. Despite warnings to leave by 9 p.m., a small group of pro-Palestinian activists remained overnight, believed to be primarily non-students. Police were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday, and the exact number of arrests has yet to be confirmed.
Barnard College senior staff released a memo stating, “Now and always, we prioritize our students’ learning and living in an inclusive environment free from harassment. Given the evolving circumstances at Columbia and in the area, we are working to ensure the safety and well-being of the Barnard community.”
Hirsi wrote on X, “Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. We will stand resolute until our demands are met.”
A Minneapolis South High School graduate, Hirsi played a prominent role in climate protests in the Twin Cities while she was a student. She co-founded and served as co-executive of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike and helped coordinate rallies across 2,000 cities in March 2019.
Omar supported the students and acknowledged Barnard College’s history of students fighting for a more just world. She hoped the university administrators would not treat the students as criminals and stand in solidarity with their cause.
Rep. Omar, a Somali refugee, has faced repeated death threats since being elected to Congress.
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