Isra Hirsi, the 21-year-old self-styled communist daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced on X Twitter Thursday that she has been suspended by Columbia University in New York City for organizing a pro-Hamas occupation on campus grounds. Hirsi attends Barnard College, which is connected to Columbia.

Hirsi describes herself as an “angry black girl” with a communist hammer and sickle symbol on her X Twitter profile.

Hirsi posted, “i’m an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest @ColumbiaSJP, in my 3 years at @BarnardCollege i have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings. i just received notice that i am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide…those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. we will stand resolute until our demands are met. our demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression”

those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated. we will stand resolute until our demands are met.

our demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression

— isra hirsi (@israhirsi) April 18, 2024

Columbia University Apartheid Divest announced the suspension of Hirsi and two other Barnard students in a defiant statement issued Thursday morning:

Press release from Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) states 3 students at Barnard were suspended on an interim basis, effective immediately.

“We will not comply until our demands are met or they remove the nonviolent protestors in the encampment by force.” pic.twitter.com/lo3q8QiGlj

— Talia Jane ❤️‍🔥 (@taliaotg) April 18, 2024

Mother and daughter, image via Instagram:

Omar posted her support of the protest on Wednesday, complete with revolutionary raised fist emoji, “Columbia has always had an incredible history of students fighting for a more just world and it’s good to see that tradition continue. As NYPD surrounds young activists, I hope their concerns are heard by school administrators and they not be criminalized. In solidarity ✊”

Columbia has always had an incredible history of students fighting for a more just world and it’s good to see that tradition continue. As NYPD surrounds young activists, I hope their concerns are heard by school administrators and they not be criminalized. In solidarity ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/UV8k3xltKT

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 17, 2024

The image Omar posted connected the occupation protest to a similar attempted campus takeover by radical leftist students in 1968. Hirsi stated in an interview Wednesday that was the case that was posted by the People’s Dispatch, “Isra Hirsi (@israhirsi), Barnard College junior and organizer with @ColumbiaBDS, is participating in an indefinite occupation of Columbia’s campus in solidarity with Gaza. Organizers have remained defiant under repression and pledge to stay until Columbia divests from Israel.” (Hirsi was wearing a COVID mask even though she was outside.)

Isra Hirsi (@israhirsi), Barnard College junior and organizer with @ColumbiaBDS, is participating in an indefinite occupation of Columbia’s campus in solidarity with Gaza. Organizers have remained defiant under repression and pledge to stay until Columbia divests from Israel. pic.twitter.com/jgQUV00CrE

— Peoples Dispatch (@peoplesdispatch) April 17, 2024

While her daughter was occupying the Columbia campus, Omar was grilling Columbia’s President Dr. Minouche Shafik at a House hearing on anti-Semitism at Columbia.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN): “Have you seen anti-Muslim protests on campus? … Against Arabs? … Palestinians?”

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik: “No.”

Omar: “Have you seen a protest saying we are against Jewish people?”

Shafik: “No.” pic.twitter.com/U0qbvrCPZk

— The Recount (@therecount) April 17, 2024

Columbia student Eden Yadegar spoke earlier on Capitol Hill about pervasive anti-Semitism on campus:

“The same Jew hate that drove my family to the US has become normalized here.”

WATCH Eden Yadegar recount the experience of Jewish students on campus at @Columbia University. pic.twitter.com/GG4XEL7TSu

— Rep. Burgess Owens (@RepBurgessOwens) April 16, 2024

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) confronted Shafik on a anti-Semitic campus handout, “Columbia’s school of social work orientation glossary defines “Ashkenormativity” as a “system of oppression that favors white Jewish folx.” The radical Left has turned our universities into hotbeds for antisemitism.”

Columbia’s school of social work orientation glossary defines “Ashkenormativity” as a “system of oppression that favors white Jewish folx.”

The radical Left has turned our universities into hotbeds for antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/OeYQIIve5q

— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) April 17, 2024

Hirsi’s youthful leftist activism has garnered her awards and a Wikipedia page (excerpt):

Isra Hirsi (born February 22, 2003) is an American environmental activist. She co-founded and served as the co-executive director of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike.[1] In 2020, she was named in the Fortune’s 40 Under 40 Government and Politics list.[2] She is the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar.

Early life and education

Hirsi protesting against gun violence in 2018
Hirsi was born on 22 February 2003 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the daughter of Somali American U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar[3][4][5] and Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi. At the age of 12, she was one of the participants protesting for justice for Jamar Clark at the Mall of America.[5] Hirsi attended Minneapolis South High School,[6] from which she graduated in 2021. She became involved in climate activism after joining her high school’s environmental club in her freshman year.[5][7]

Hirsi attends Barnard College of Columbia University as of fall 2021.[8]

Activism
Hirsi coordinated the organization of hundreds of student-led strikes across the United States on March 15 and May 3, 2019.[4] She co-founded the U.S. Youth Climate Strike,[5] the American arm of a global youth climate change movement, in January 2019.[9][10][11] She acts as the co-executive director of this group.[5][12] In 2019, she won a Brower Youth Award.[13] That same year, Hirsi received the Voice of the Future Award.[7] In 2020, Hirsi was placed on BET’s “Future 40” list.[14]

Hirsi endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for President of the United States in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[15]

New York City police were breaking up the occupation of Columbia Thursday afternoon:

#HAPPENINGNOW: At the request of @Columbia officials, we are on scene to disperse protestors who have erected an unlawful encampment on campus.

School officials had previously determined that the encampment and related disruptions pose a clear and present danger to the… pic.twitter.com/ZZ8VEAfAMd

— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) April 18, 2024

Happening now at Columbia University: President Minouche Shafik in an email said she has “authorized the New York Police Department to begin clearing the encampment” where pro-Palestine students are demanding the university divest from Israel pic.twitter.com/1DScJ8ys67

— Tyler Clifford (@_TylerTheTyler_) April 18, 2024