Masked protesters at Columbia University stormed the school’s main library building Wednesday, distributing flyers and hanging banners honouring Bassel al-Araj . The demonstrators, part of a group reportedly linked to the radical activist network Unity of Fields, renamed the reading room “the Basel Al-Araj Popular University”.
The protesters passed around pamphlets describing al-Araj as a “militant intellectual”, reported The Post. The flyers contained factual errors, including a misspelling of his name.
“Basil was an intellectual, a militant intellectual . In fact, he was so much so to the point where ‘The Militant Intellectual’ is always understood to refer to him specifically,” the booklet read.
Who was Bassel al-Araj?
The protesters passed around pamphlets describing al-Araj as a “militant intellectual”, reported The Post. The flyers contained factual errors, including a misspelling of his name.
“Basil was an intellectual, a militant intellectual . In fact, he was so much so to the point where ‘The Militant Intellectual’ is always understood to refer to him specifically,” the booklet read.
Who was Bassel al-Araj?
- Bassel al-Araj was a Palestinian activist and writer known for his involvement in anti-occupation protests .
- He often took part in non-violent demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall and settlement expansion, according to Al Jazeera.
- In April 2016, the Palestinian authority arrested him and five others on charges of holding unlicensed weapons and allegedly planning attacks on Israeli targets.
- During their detention, al-Araj and the others staged a hunger strike, claiming they were tortured. They were released nine days later without formal charges.
- After his release, al-Araj went into hiding. Israeli forces tracked him down in Ramallah in March 2017 and killed him during a raid on the house where he was staying. Israel claimed he was part of a terror cell preparing attacks.
You may also like
Mehbooba Mufti asks PM Modi to pick dialogue with Pakistan over hostilities, cites deaths on either side
Pakistan's aerial attacks foiled by Indian air defences amid blackouts and sirens, no damage, say forces; retaliatory measures launched
CM Nitish Kumar chairs meeting to tighten security in Bihar border areas
Uri's 72 hours: Tuesday's peace, Wednesday's fire, Thursday's ashes
EAM Jaishankar speaks to Italian counterpart, discusses India's targetted, measured response to counter terrorism