Hundreds of New York City high school students participated in a chaotic demonstration protesting against a teacher who publicly supported Israel, according to the New York Post.
Students at Hillcrest High School in Queens protested for nearly two hours over a teacher who posted a Facebook photo of herself in attendance at a pro-Israel rally. The teacher reportedly held up a sign reading, “I stand with Israel,” per the outlet. (RELATED: Florida Universities’ Leader Says Protesters May Have Broken The Law With Reported Calls To Wipe Israel ‘Off The Map’)
“The teacher was seen holding a sign of Israel, like supporting it,” a student told the outlet.
Other students conspired to “expose” the teacher’s support for Israel to the rest of the school, the student continued.
“A bunch of kids decided to make a group chat, expose her, talk about it, and then talk about starting a riot.”
Teacher forced to hide in a locked room while a mob of students riot after they learned she attended a pro-Israel rally. This happened at a high school in Queens, NY. pic.twitter.com/BtGrQoup0S
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 26, 2023
Students flooded the hallways, chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine.” The mayhem reportedly included shouting, screaming and waving Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine banners. Students reportedly engaged in a failed attempt to force entry into the teacher’s classroom, per the outlet.
“Everyone was yelling ‘Free Palestine!'” one student said.
“Everyone was screaming ‘[The teacher] needs to go!'” another student said.
The NYPD arrived at the scene and escorted the teacher into a classroom with a locked door; a couple dozen of officers also arrived at the school to breakup the rally, per the outlet. The NYPD is also reportedly looking into a potential threat against the school, per the outlet.
“Whether it was one student or multiple students who did or said something, whatever the trigger was, something happened. And I know from my many years on the City Council that the counterterrorism task force is not engaged unless they believe it is potentially a serious situation,” said City Councilman James Gennaro.
The teacher issued a statement to the New York Post saying she was rattled by the demonstration.
“I have been a teacher for 23 years in the New York City public school system — for the last seven at Hillcrest High School. I have worked hard to be supportive of our entire student body and an advocate for our community, and was shaken to my core by the calls to violence against me that occurred online and outside my classroom last week.”
“It’s my hope in the days ahead we can find a way to have meaningful discussions about challenging topics with respect for each other’s diverse perspectives and shared humanity,” the teacher continued. “Unless we can learn to see each other as people we will never be able to create a safe learning community.”
Protestors went so far as to reveal the teacher’s private information, including her residence, students claimed to the outlet.
“They found where she lives — her address, her phone number, her family and everything — her personal information,” per the outlet.
Anti-Israel demonstrations have rocked the nation since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel. Young people have spearheaded many of the most raucous protests against the Jewish state, with many demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas while others call for its destruction altogether.