Post Detail

‘Feeling threatened’: Jewish students at New York protests speak against antisemitism, reflect on Oct. 7

Sam, a student at New York University (NYU), told Fox News Digital that he and his Jewish friends were "completely engulfed" by anti-Israel protesters within 20 minutes of arriving at Washington Square Park.

Sam and his fellow Jewish students were not harmed during the event, and they thanked the New York Police Department (NYPD) for keeping them safe.

During the "Within Our Lifetime" protest at the park, anti-Israel demonstrators engaged in chants that called for Israeli citizens to "go back home" and criticized Jewish students when they gathered to sing Hebrew hymns.

Jewish students spoke with Fox News Digital about anti-Israel protests and the October 7 anniversary.  (Fox News)

Police in the area successfully kept the opposing protest groups at bay, often breaking up tense arguments and erecting barricades to separate them. During one tense exchange, two anti-Israel protesters held up an Israeli flag to Jewish students before placing it on the ground. They proceeded to stomp and kick the flag a few feet from one of the barricades.

Later, an anti-Israel protester repeatedly blew a loud air horn into the face of a Jewish student, who eventually put on noise-canceling headphones to drown out the sound.

"That doesn’t reflect 100 feet out of the classroom up to the park or when I’m walking," he said. "If I have any Jewish symbols on – on Friday nights I wear a Kippah. I’m yelled at. Sometimes, people will make rude comments to me in passing."

People take part in protests on Broad Street in New York City, NY, Monday, October 7, 2024. Today marks one-year since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital)

University of Pittsburgh student Racheli told Fox News Digital that she traveled over five hours from Pennsylvania to support Jewish students facing antisemitism and show them they are "not alone."

"College is supposed to be a time of community and learning – but instead they’re feeling threatened in their own campuses," she said.

"The only thing that Israel has ever done is protect its people, and they have the right to exist, and we want to exist in peace with all around us," she added.

A woman is arrested as people take part in protests on Broad Street in New York City, NY, Monday, October 7, 2024. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital)

"October 6 was the last night we went to sleep with a full heart. Since then, it’s been devastation. It’s been every day, constant tragedy," he continued.

The 2023 attack perpetrated by Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas also took hundreds of hostages.