Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) daughter Isra Hirsi said on Thursday that she got suspended from college for joining an unauthorized pro-Palestine protest on campus.
Isra Hirsi, an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest @ColumbiaSJP, mentioned that in her 3 years at @BarnardCollege she never faced any reprimands or disciplinary warnings.
Hirsi added that she was informed that she is one of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.
Columbia pointed out that Hirsi is a student at Barnard College, which is linked to Columbia but has some independence.
Barnard declined to comment on details but referred to an announcement from its senior staff on Thursday, stating that Columbia and Barnard students established an unauthorized encampment on Columbia’s South Lawn.
The statement mentioned that Barnard Senior Staff also went to the lawn to ask Barnard students participating in the encampment to leave and advised them that they would face sanctions at Barnard if they did not leave the encampment.
The students also received written warnings that they would face interim suspension if they did not leave by Wednesday night, according to the school.
Hirsi stated, “those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. we will stand resolute until our demands are met. our demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression.”
The suspension came after a House hearing where Columbia officials were questioned by members of the Education and the Workforce Committee about their response to the rise in antisemitism seen both nationally and globally since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Several U.S. colleges have dealt with demonstrations and protests in the months since.
Ilhan Omar questioned Columbia President Minouche Shafik about the treatment of Palestinian protesters during the hearing.
The Hill has contacted Omar’s office for comment.
