Jewish Students Entrapped As Protests Rage!

(Daily360.com) – Jewish students at the small private college, Cooper Union, located in the East Village of Manhattan, were forced to hide from an unruly group of pro-Palestinian protestors earlier in the week. The rowdy group ignored campus security and began banging on the doors and windows of the school’s library where the Jewish students were located.

Security was able to lock the doors to the floor these students were on before the protestors could enter. They say the protestors were yelling “anti-Semitic rhetoric” and covering the windows with Palestinian messaging posters, some of which read “Zionism Hands Off Our Universities” and Palestine flags.

The isolated students describe feeling afraid and having racing hearts as they awaited help, or for the protestors to move on. Some called family, while others called 911. The NYPD was on campus due to the scheduled and approved pro-Palestine demonstration. The protester group was likely headed to Cooper Union president Laura Sparks’ office and changed course when they saw the Jewish students. They demanded that Sparks denounce Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The police officers who were on campus did not intervene at any point; it’s rumored the university officials insisted they not get involved. A school official guided and escorted the protest group out of the building through a discreet rear exit. Sparks was also escorted out through a rear exit after she was alerted the protestors were looking for her.

One student said if the university president was scared enough to sneak away, the police should have been asked to intervene. In total there were 11 Jewish students locked in the room and all decided to remain there until the protests ended.

When they did leave the protestors were all standing outside and stood silently holding their signs as the Jewish students passed them. The school’s media relations manager said the library was closed for roughly 20 minutes due to the protest. When asked about asking the police to refrain from getting involved, the school did not comment, confirm or deny it. Students involved said they were disappointed in the university, they believe once security was overwhelmed the police should have been notified.