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Student protesters gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus on April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP)
Photo doesn’t show pro-Palestinian protesters blocking Jewish students from entering Columbia
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The Associated Press took the photo Oct. 12, 2023. The caption does not say it shows protesters blocking Jewish students from entering campus.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" have occupied Columbia University’s lawn for nearly three weeks, refusing to move until the university divests its finances from Israel amid the war in Gaza.
But some photos shared on social media misleadingly claim to depict scenes from Columbia’s campus protests.
An April 24 X post showed two juxtaposed photos — one it says was taken in 1938 and shows, "Nazi’s block Jewish students from entering Vienna University." The other it says was taken in 2024 and shows "Palestinian activists block Jewish students from entering Columbia University."
The comparison, however, falls short.
Although the first photograph does show Nazi officers stopping Jewish students from entering a building in Vienna University in 1938, the second photo is not from 2024, nor does it depict activists stopping Jewish students from entering campus.
Featured Fact-check
Columbia Journalism School students found that the photo was taken by The Associated Press on Oct. 12, 2023. The photo’ s caption reads, "Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather for a protest at Columbia University."
Other photos from The Associated Press of the Oct. 12 protest do not show activists blocking Jewish students from campus. The photos show protesters marching through campus while waving Palestinian flags and chanting. Photos also captured pro-Israeli demonstrators holding a protest the same day on Columbia’s campus.
We searched Google and the Nexis news database and did not find documented instances of protesters blocking Jewish students from entering Columbia’s campus in 2024.
We rate the claim that this photo shows Palestinian activists blocking Jewish students from entering Columbia University False.
Our Sources
X post (archived), April 24, 2024
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, A group of SA hold hands on the steps of the University of Vienna in an attempt to prevent Jews from entering the building. The action led to a day of student rioting, which had to be suppressed by police, accessed April 29, 2024
X post, April 26, 2024
The Associated Press, New York Israel Palestinians, Oct. 13, 2023
Google Maps, Kent Hall, accessed April 29, 2024
Columbia University Office of Public Affairs, Campus Updates, April 29, 2024
Columbia Spectator, Rabbi advises Jewish students to ‘return home as soon as possible’ following reports of ‘extreme antisemitism’ on and around campus, April 21, 2024
Reuters, For some Columbia students, protest encampment is living history lesson, April 27, 2024
The Hill, We’re Jewish students at Columbia arrested for protesting Israel’s war, April 28, 2024
Columbia Spectator, ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ approaches one-week mark on South Lawn, April 23, 2024
The Associated Press, New York Israel Palestinians, Oct. 12, 2023
The Associated Press, New York Israel Palestinians, Oct. 12, 2023
The Associated Press, APTOPIX New York Israel Palestinians, Oct. 12, 2023
The Associated Press, New York Israel Palestinians, Oct 12, 2023
The Associated Press, New York Israel Palestinians, Oct. 12, 2023
The Associated Press, New York Israel Palestinians, Oct. 12, 2023
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Photo doesn’t show pro-Palestinian protesters blocking Jewish students from entering Columbia
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