2024-04-04 All Out for Al-Shifa Unsanctioned Rally


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On April 4th, 2024 suspended student groups Students for Justice (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) together with Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), other aligned student clubs and Student Workers at Columbia union (SWC) held an unauthorized “All Out for Al-Shifa” rally. The rally featured speakers who were students already suspended for prior infractions for participating in the Resistance 101 event.

The rally was heavily promoted on social media. Announcements of the rally were also sent by email and by mobile phone texts.

Columbia administration was advised that the rally was violating Columbia’s policy as the permission for it was not obtained and it was not scheduled in the official Event Management System calendar. However, even given the warning, Columbia administration did nothing to stop it or enforce its own rules.

Despite being unsanctioned, the rally was promoted by #FSJP faculty and by the Students Workers of Columbia (#SWC) union. Participation and potential financing by the union was particularly troubling. Here are social media posts of other student organizations promoting this rally as well as discussions on Sidechat about the rally. 

Because everyone knew that the rally was unsanctioned–in fact, defying Columbia rules appears to have been the point–the organizers advised the participants to wear masks to hide their identities and complicate rule enforcement. Masks were also distributed at the event.

On April 3rd, prior to the event, COO Cas Holloway sent out a letter to some student leaders warning of disciplinary consequences.

The rally promoted antisemitic lies and blood libels (video). One of the leaders was Catherine Elias / Catherine Curran-Groome. Many more photos and videos of the rally are available in our repository folder.

April 4, 2024 statement from the Columbia University COO, Cas Holloway. However, while the statement called the event “unsanctioned”, Columbia administration did nothing to stop it once it took place. Moreover, almost no visible security officers were present at the event where the large crowd of anti-Israel protesters was not separated from a small group of pro-Israel counter-protestors, as is required by Columbia’s own safety protocol.

Social Media

  • Our tweet outlining the issue with the lack of rule enforcement by Columbia.

Media

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