Columbia University Anti-Israel Protests
People rally on the campus of Columbia University which was occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters in New York on April 22, 2024. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / Getty Images

Five Columbia University students have filed a class-action lawsuit against the organizers of an anti-Israel encampment on campus earlier this year. The students allege harassment and bullying, claiming the protests, which involved chants supporting Hamas and threatening Jewish students, forced the university to move classes online and cancel graduation.

The lawsuit, filed July 26, names several defendants, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman and Ilhan Omar, accusing them of inciting and encouraging the protests. Columbia University is not a defendant in the suit, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post.

Instead, the case targets student groups like Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and faculty organizations that allegedly defended the protesters. The lawsuit also names various external organizations and activists believed to have supported the encampments.

The protests, which occurred in April, involved chants such as "Death to Jews" and "Hamas we love you," according to the lawsuit.

Demonstrators are accused of threatening Jewish students, blocking access to campus facilities and creating a hostile environment. The plaintiffs, two of which are Jewish, argue that these actions led to the university's decision to shut down in-person classes and restrict access to campus. The lawsuit does not specify the exact damages sought, but organizers told Fox News that they are seeking $30 million in compensation.

"This case is brought on behalf of the students who were forced to pay that high price by the tortious acts of on-campus students and faculty and their off-campus allies who conspired to organize and continue the two-week encampment. That encampment, and the safety threat that it created, forced Columbia to move classes online, restrict access to campus immediately before finals, and ultimately cancel commencement," the suit states.

The university has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Tags Columbia University, Lawsuit, Protest