Listening In at Columbia’s First Day Back

It was the first day of classes yesterday at Columbia University, where there’s a new university president, a new report on antisemitism at the school, and where campus gates are now closed to anyone without a school ID. By 9:30 a.m., protesters were meeting under the watch of news cameras and a handful of NYPD officers and campus security guards. By 11 a.m., there were police barricades along Broadway, keeping traffic and spectators from the chaos of protesters looping past a line of ID holders waiting to get in. And by 2 p.m., there were reports of arrests outside Barnard’s gates. The Eavesdropper listened to protesters chant, students gripe, and counterprotesters try to set off schisms. 

This is the line to get in.
Are you fucking kidding me? I hate this school.

The line is incredible.
It’s hurting my ears, and he’s not even thinking before he yells.

This is fucking ridiculous. I have 20 minutes before class.
I was like, Yeah, I’ll have plenty of time!
How many classes do you have today?
Two.

A lot of the chants are, like, shit.

In Singapore, it’s, like, illegal. They’ll genuinely lock you up if you protest. Law school is like nothing I’ve seen before. Regardless of the chaos, I’ve been grateful that I’ve been able to experience something like that.
It was so much last year.

I think it’s two lines because they’re going opposite directions. Do you see this line?
I have no idea.
Is there another entrance on Amsterdam?
I have no idea.
There has to be another or we’re doomed.

I have no idea where my classes are. We’re going to be so late.
Are they allowed to take pictures of us? I don’t know if that’s legal.
This is a public sidewalk.
I guess it is. Is he gonna sell them?
Oh my God, that’s weird.

This is a line to get into Lerner!
We already waited in this whole line, though. Might as well try.
We’re not gonna make it.
I know.

Go go go! The New York Times is here!
I’ll come find you.

Last semester was, like, just crazy in terms of protesting.
Do you think it will be that crazy again?
Well, yeah, there’s literally a dragon there. I don’t think it will end.
The security had been insane last year.
I swear there was a minimum of 200 cops there. In campus is fine; they don’t let anyone in.
And they check your face! They want to make sure you’re not using someone else’s ID.
You like it here so far?
It feels kind of worth it. I’m here for football stuff. Everyone was kind of hazing the freshmen, but it is what it is.
This is Rush Week, right?

ID holders only! There’s another gate open now at 117th and Broadway — that will be quicker for you.

As a Jewish man, how do you feel? Does it concern you?
Like everything about being a Jewish man, it’s complicated. On one hand, I empathize with the people of Palestine.
What about antisemitism on campus?
I think two things: There have been a lot of efforts made on behalf of the university to listen to students. The task force on antisemitism released a 91-page report. It’s a good read — or a bad read. But the biggest problem is there’s a lot of denialism. I’ve been sitting in rooms with professors who say this has not happened.
Sticking their head in the sand?
Yeah.

Somebody had a sign that says “You’re Next.”
Yeah, I caught one that said “The Rebels Were Justified.”
This is like — it was so wild when I arrived.
I just got shoved over there, so if anything happens to you, report it!

Join the picket.
No thanks.

I couldn’t sleep all night.

If you yell louder, you’ll really stop the students!

You know what stupid is? Supporting the people who want to kill you. Like 9/11. What has Palestine produced for the culture — Israel has produced medicine and technology versus what Palestine has produced. You know how the left is always speaking against violence and here they are celebrating it and you have to just take it? Go to graduate school and go to a conservative university so you don’t have to deal with this shit and you will have a community that supports you. I have friends I grew up with who are not speaking to me because I’m a conservative.

I had to get all my stuff on 114th and then go over to Amsterdam. I would not have come in if I could have avoided this today.

You’re brainwashed!
They’re getting away with it.
I’m not blaming the protesters —

Will you be my line friend?!
Thank you so much!

For as long as there is a Columbia, we will be here to shut it down. Columbia supports war crimes to keep its students blind.
What is happening?
Join the picket! Find out why we’re protesting.

It’s kind of pathetic. They don’t have the numbers; they’re just, like, yelling.

At least it’s safer inside now.
Like back then, in 2015, doing university tours — we could just walk in.

How are you? You want to line cut?
Yeah!
I saved you a spot. You have a piece of fluff on you.

Rabbi, my name is XXXXX, I’m a reporter, and did you see the arrests there?
I have no idea what it was about. I really didn’t see that.
Rabbi, why is it important that the students are here today demonstrating solidarity with Palestine?
With the help of the Almighty, it’s really critical with a new semester. The students have been attacked, accused of being antisemitic because they’re standing with the people of Palestine.

Some of them are moving up to the 30th Precinct. With the two arrests, it was in front of Barnard. I don’t know why they arrested them, but they grabbed them. Can you get in with an alumni ID?
I’ll try to make it work. I’m a guest speaker twice this semester.

Barnard is worse.
And they said, “This is only the beginning.”