The protests came a day after a group of Jewish peace activists from Columbia traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby members of Congress and to condemn what they call the “weaponization” of accusations of antisemitism to silence critics of Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its assault on Gaza. This is Columbia graduate student Carly Shaffer.

Carly Shaffer: “Columbia University has decided who is Jewish, who is not Jewish, and then, from there, who is worthy of protection, who is not worthy of protection. And while we as Jewish students are fully, you know, transparent and honest as the repression and harm we have faced as Jewish students is not anything near what our Palestinian peers have faced, we are here directly to talk about this issue of weaponizing antisemitism to harm anybody and anyone, because it’s all interconnected. I mean, look at the abduction of Mahmoud Khalil. Look at the abduction of Mohsen, when you’re using antisemitism as a weapon.”

On Wednesday, Jewish students blasted a congressional hearing in which House Republicans continued to conflate anti-Israel and anti-Zionist protests with antisemitism. Jewish Voice for Peace Action called the House session a “kangaroo hearing.”