Columbia suspends students for ‘Resistance 101’ where guest speaker had alleged ties to terror group: reports

Columbia University has indefinitely suspended four students for participating in an unauthorized conference on campus led by a man with alleged ties to a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, according to reports.

The event called “Resistance 101” was led by prominent Palestinian activist Khaled Barakat, who appeared via video to discuss the conflict in Gaza that erupted following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7.

Students identified as participants in the meeting were removed from their on-campus housing Wednesday and given only 24 hours to vacate, according to the campus newspaper, the Columbia Spectator.

During the meeting, Barakat – who was accused of being a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – spoke of speaking with his “friends and brothers from Hamas, Islamic Jihad… the PFLP… especially after October 7 ”, and how excited they get when they see groups of American students protesting on their behalf.

“They don’t care about what Biden says and what Kamala Harris says…what they’re focused on is actually ending Israeli aggression and defeating Israel,” Barakat said during the meeting.

“When they see students organizing outside of Palestine, they really feel like they are supported as resisters and that they are supported. Every protest in New York counts for Gaza. Your work is more important than ever for the resistance in Gaza,” he said.

Columbia investigated the meeting using an outside firm, university President Minouche Shafik said, and accused the four students who participated in the event of violating campus policies, endangerment, disruptive behavior and other charges, according to the Spectator.

“On March 24, an event took place at a residential facility on campus, which the university had previously banned twice. It featured speakers known to support terrorism and promote violence,” university president Shafik said in a statement.

“I want to officially declare that this event constitutes a heinous violation of our values.”

Initially, six students were suspended, but two of them were later cleared. The investigation into this event is still ongoing, the president said.

“I realize that our campus has been deeply shaken by the war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7 with the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and is now turning into a humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” Shafik said, adding that while she doesn’t seek to punish students, actions in violation of campus policies must have consequences.

A campus investigation is also underway into an unauthorized pro-Palestinian demonstration held on April 4 that attracted more than 100 participants.

At that event, one of the students suspended for participating in the “Resistance 101” meeting with Barakat said she lost a full scholarship for a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies because of her participation.

“I left everything behind, my community, my partner, my job, my entire life based on Columbia’s promise of a full scholarship to pursue studies on Palestine,” she said, according to the Spectators.

“Columbia is not only a complicit institution, it is a violent institution.”