Columbia University student Rory Wilson, along with some friends, attempted to stop a group of anti-Israel protesters from taking over the academic building, Hamilton Hall. They wanted to delay the agitators until police or security could arrive, but no help arrived even though 911 calls were made. Wilson, along with his friend Charles Beck, managed to stand in front of the entrance while the mob pushed against them. Wilson believes it was important to stand up for what is right, even if they were unable to prevent the takeover. The protesters were acting illegally, and Wilson felt it was his duty as a student to defend the university property and disrupt their activities.
Wilson’s friend Beck was dragged away by the mob, and a man dressed in black attempted to physically harm Wilson. As the protesters took over Hamilton Hall, renaming it “Hind’s Hall,” Wilson remained the last line of defense until he decided to step aside to avoid a potentially violent situation. Security was nowhere to be seen during the unrest, and after the break-in, Wilson felt the campus was dangerous. He also suspected people dressed in black were following him. Wilson called for the university to take action against the violent agitators and expressed disappointment in the lack of response from campus authorities during the incident.
Wilson described a professional agitator in her 60s who led the charge to take over Hamilton Hall and harassed him for his race and gender. He felt attacked throughout the ordeal and criticized the university for sending out an email about student safety without taking any action to address the dangerous situation on campus. Wilson expressed his disappointment in the lack of support from the university and the failure to deal with dire situations when students are being physically assaulted. He believes the university’s assurances about student safety are hollow if they fail to respond effectively to such incidents.
Despite Wilson’s efforts and those of his friends to prevent the takeover of Hamilton Hall, the protesters ultimately occupied the building. Wilson felt frustrated that his attempts to protect the university property were in vain due to the lack of support from authorities. He shared his concerns about potential outside agitators infiltrating the campus and causing further unrest. Wilson emphasized the importance of universities taking concrete action against violent protesters who disrupt campus activities and endanger students and faculty. He called for accountability and expressed disappointment in the university’s response to the situation.
