Thahiya Hassan was, as of May 2024, an undergraduate student at Barnard College, part of Columbia University, majoring in chemistry and expected to graduate in 2025. She is a supporter of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement and an active participant in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and related protest actions on Columbia’s campus.
Following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7 2023, which resulted in the mass murder, torture, rape, kidnapping, and killing of over 1,200 Israeli civilians, Hassan escalated her online activity with explicit and violent rhetoric directed at Israel and self identified Zionists. Her posts repeatedly framed Israel as genocidal, celebrated suffering, and endorsed harm against an entire national and ideological group.
Between March and April 2024, Hassan posted a series of tweets containing explicit sexual slurs, threats, and calls for violence. These included statements such as “death to israel inshallah,” expressions of hatred toward Israel as a state, and assertions that Zionists deserved abuse or exclusion rather than engagement. She also publicly targeted individuals, including entertainers and Columbia faculty, using vulgar and dehumanizing language.
Hassan’s rhetoric extended beyond speech into action. On April 30 2024, she publicly admitted on social media that she assisted in barricading Hamilton Hall during the illegal occupation, stating that she helped move tables to block the building. The takeover involved property destruction, forced entry, and the temporary detention of campus custodial staff. During the event, Hassan posted that she feared police intervention and warned that the NYPD would “pay,” further inflaming tensions.
She also actively participated in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment beginning April 17 2024, an action organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest and affiliated with banned campus groups including Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The encampment and subsequent building occupation resulted in mass arrests, suspensions, and widespread disruption of campus operations. Evidence later released by law enforcement showed weapons and extremist propaganda present at the site of the occupation.
Hassan’s online activity consistently minimized or justified violence against Israelis while portraying law enforcement and university administration as illegitimate aggressors. She amplified conspiracy driven narratives equating Israeli institutions with Nazism and echoed slogans historically associated with violent uprisings. Her rhetoric frequently crossed from political critique into explicit antisemitic demonization, including collective punishment language and dehumanizing comparisons.
Record of Advocacy and Ideological Bias
Academic and Organizational Roles
Undergraduate student at Barnard College majoring in chemistry
Affiliated participant in campus activism linked to CUAD and BDS aligned networks
Public Statements and Activism
Repeated use of explicit antisemitic and anti Zionist slurs on social media
Public calls for violence against Israel and endorsement of extremist slogans
Celebration of suffering and rejection of empathy following international missile attacks
Promotion of narratives equating Israel with Nazism and law enforcement with white supremacist groups
Participation in and defense of illegal protest activity and property occupation
Collaborations and Affiliations
Supporter of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement
Participant in Gaza Solidarity Encampment organized by CUAD with involvement from SJP and JVP networks
Alignment with online activist spaces promoting exclusion and harassment of pro Israel students and faculty
Impact on Campus Climate and Accountability Concerns
Hassan’s conduct reflects a pattern in which extreme rhetoric, dehumanization, and unlawful action are normalized under the banner of activism. Her participation in the Hamilton Hall occupation and use of violent language contributed to an environment in which Jewish and pro Israel students reported harassment, exclusion, and intimidation. When such behavior goes unchecked, it erodes campus safety, undermines free expression for targeted groups, and blurs the line between protest and criminal activity.
