Watch: ‘Biden sun le, Azadi’ slogans raised in Columbia University by pro-Palestine protesters

Columbia University has been rocked by pro-Palestine protests over the last week, prompting police intervention and arrest of 108 demonstrators. But the action has failed to rein in the protests, which continued over the weekend. The protests took place a day after Columbia President Nemat Shafik’s Congressional testimony over anti-semitism on college campuses. Shafif, in a letter to college students, regretted his decision to allow police into the campus but said he was left with no other option.

He also added that the university had suspended 15 students and that anti-semitism had no place in the campus.

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“Anti-semitism has no place on our campus, and I am personally committed to doing everything I can to confront it directly,” she said.

Meanwhile, some videos have surfaced on social media showing Indian-origin students chanting slogans in favour of Palestine. The video shows a woman raising slogans in favour of Palestine as her fellow protesters chant “azadi” (freedom) in chorus.

WION cannot verify the authenticity of the videos.

"Arey hum kya chahte, Azadi... Palestine ki, Azadi... arey chheen ke lenge, Azadi... Hai haq hamara, Azadi... (what do we want...freedom... Palestine's freedom.... we will snatch this freedom which is our right....)," the woman can be heard sloganeering in the video.

The "welcoming educational environment" at @Columbia and @BarnardCollege. pic.twitter.com/cbli9PhKq6 — Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus (@CampusJewHate) April 20, 2024

The woman also raised slogans like "Biden sun le, Azadi.... Netanyahu sun le, Azadi... Modi sun le, Azadi".

'Azadi' slogans were earlier raised in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. The JNU attracted much attention in 2016 when left-leaning students staged protests commemorating the anniversary of the execution of Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri terrorist convicted for his involvement in the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament.

Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, was amongst those arrested on Thursday from the campus. Hirsi is an organiser with Columbia University Apartment Divest, a coalition of student organisations calling for Columbia to divest in Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)