Student agitators at Columbia University began their spring semester by storming an Israeli history class, video shows. 

A band of masked keffiyeh-clad students “threw” flyers featuring a smashed Star of David underneath a boot, a burning Israeli flag and weapon-carrying militants at students, according to accounts and videos shared to X. 

Among the messages on the flyers were “the enemy will not see tomorrow,” “Burn Zionism to the ground” and “Crush Zionism,” according to images shared by class of 2026 student Lishi Baker. 

“It’s day one of… History of Modern Israel @Columbia and masked protesters just barged in to intimidate and disrupt,” the student wrote. “So much for ‘academic freedom.’ Welcome to Columbia, 2025!”

Anti-Israel protesters demonstrate outside Columbia University on Tuesday, Sep. 3, in New York City. (AP/Yuki Iwamura)

He told the outlet that just before the protesters barged into his classroom, he told his students that they would “learn the two narratives: one of the Palestinians and one of the Israelis.”

“It did not discourage me; on the contrary, it just makes me feel that it is so important to teach and to study Israel from a real historian who this is his field of expertise,” Shilon told the outlet.

According to an online description of Shilon’s course, the class explores Israeli politics from the state’s establishment to the present day, focusing on the demographics that “create the fabric of Israeli politics and society” including the “Palestinian citizens of Israel.”

Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, said that the institution “strongly condemn[s] this disruption, as well as the fliers that included violent imagery that is unacceptable on our campus and in our community.”

“No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom. Disrupting academic activities constitutes a violation of the Rules of University conduct, and the nature of the disruption may constitute violations of other University policies,” Armstrong wrote in a statement. 

“We will move quickly to investigate and address this act. We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

On campus, protesters with the Columbia University Apartheid Divest and the school’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter protested in support of “the liberation of Palestine beyond a ceasefire,” blocking street traffic as they marched outside the university. 

Among phrases spray-painted around the campus the night before were “Gaza Rises Columbia Falls,” the Free-Beacon reported.