Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (RN.Y.) criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for dropping charges against many of the pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied a Columbia University building during a rally in April.
“There is no justice system when you have Alvin Bragg as a prosecutor,” said Zeldin, also a former New York gubernatorial candidate. he said on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.” “So for those defenseless Jewish students and faculty members who hoped there would be consequences after watching all these crimes being committed, this is yet another day of disappointment.
At a hearing Thursday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office announced it would not pursue criminal charges for 31 of the 46 people initially arrested for trespassing after they occupied an administrative building on Columbia’s campus.
The prosecutor’s decision came in part from a lack of evidence linking the protesters to specific acts of property damage, along with the students’ lack of criminal records, the district attorney’s office said, according to the Associated Press.
The storming of the building, known as Hamilton Hall, occurred on April 30, when dozens of student protesters barricaded themselves inside the building, marking a significant escalation in weeks-long demonstrations on campuses across the country.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) was called to dismantle the barricade and Columbia threatened to expel those involved.
Zeldin, speaking about his disagreement with the decision, pointed out a New York Post article which suggested that three Columbia administrators allegedly sent hostile text messages during a panel discussion about anti-Semitism.
“So if you don’t have the necessary accountability on campus and the culture continues to erode, laws will be broken and prosecutors won’t prosecute,” Zeldin said. “It’s going to get worse because the people who committed these crimes will only be emboldened.”
Columbia University served as the epicenter for pro-Palestinian demonstrations that quickly spread across the country and led to the arrest of hundreds of students and professors.
Protesters called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and for US schools and businesses to cut all ties with Israel.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said it continues to investigate the Columbia and City College cases, including all assaults on police officers. School disciplinary proceedings are ongoing for students whose cases were dismissed, the district attorney’s office told The Hill.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
