'Squad' Members Face Lawsuit Over 'Inciting' Columbia Riots

Three of the “Squad” members — Democrat Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — have been hit with a class-action lawsuit for “inciting and encouraging” the anti-Israeli protests and chaos at Columbia University, the New York Post reported on Saturday.

Columbia made international news in April when pro-Palestinian demonstrators broke into Hamilton Hall, resulting in dozens of arrests following a large-scale police operation. In late June, the city of New York dropped all criminal charges against the protesters.

The three high-profile Democrats were among the most visible lawmakers who sided with the pro-Palestinian encampments and warned authorities to dial back any form of discipline.

“If any kid is hurt tonight, responsibility will fall on the mayor and univ presidents,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in April adding, “a nightmare in the making.”

Five anonymous students filed a class-action suit this week against at least a dozen groups, including Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman, and Omar, whose college-aged daughter Isra Hirsi was arrested at one of the Columbia encampments. The lawsuit notes that all three lawmakers trespassed on campus in April “and participated in the encampment,” when access to campus was supposed to be limited to those with student identification.

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/aoc-columbia-omar/2024/08/03/id/1175147/