NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Concerns over safety and security on college campuses in New York City continue to escalate as a digital billboard truck displaying names and pictures of students allegedly associated with pro-Palestine organizations popped up at Columbia University's campus on Wednesday.
The 'doxxing truck,' as termed by students, displayed the names of students with a caption that branded them as "Columbia's Leading Antisemites." It was parked in front of Columbia University at a bus stop located at 116th and Broadway.
Doxxing is the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization.
The truck is one example of a wider series happening at colleges across the country, where students are facing criticism and being blacklisted for sharing their political views. In this case, the students are being called out for signing a statement criticizing Israel for increasing its military actions in Gaza following Hamas' terror attack on Oct. 7. and denouncing Israel's past attacks in the region.
After the truck showed up on campus, students crowded in front of the truck, trying to cover up the names with umbrellas and cloth.
Bernard E. Harcourt, a law professor at Columbia University, joined the students, carrying a sign that read "Stop doxxing our students."
"It's totally unacceptable to have outsiders incite harm to our students right here on our campus," Harcourt said. "As a faculty member here at Columbia, it was incumbent on me to act. I would assume all of my colleagues would have done the same thing."
Accuracy in Media, a conservative group, claimed responsibility for the trucks and the creation of a website titled "Columbia Hates Jews." The website lists over 20 affiliates from Columbia, with a promise to continually update the list.
Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, defended its actions, stating, "We think it's incredibly important for people to know who the hateful antisemites are, both on their campus and in their community."
He also mentioned that students or organizations that retract their statements or apologize would be removed from the list. Guillette emphasized the importance of not appeasing "racist antisemites," stating that they "must learn that their hateful actions will have consequences."
But Accuracy in Media is no stranger to courting controversy when allegedly attempting to combat antisemitism -- and in 2022, one of its seemingly misguided campaigns offended Jewish organizations. It had a truck equipped with a digital screen of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute. Above the image read, "All in favor of banning Jews, raise your right hand."
Following the Hitler truck, some people threw rocks at it. Jewish organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the UC Berkeley chapter of Hillel International criticized the truck.
The San Francisco branch of the ADL said at the time, "using Hitler imagery to score cheap rhetoric points, only trivializes the memories of the six million."
"We know some of you may have seen a truck driving around campus this morning with a disturbing image prominently displayed," Berkeley Hillel said. "Berkeley Hillel rejects antisemitism of any kind, and in all its forms. We also reject subjecting Jewish students to additional fear and trauma."
Columbia University media relations directed inquiries about the 'doxxing truck' to a statement released on Oct. 18, condemning doxxing and online harassment.
"Some students, including at Columbia, have been victims of doxxing. This form of online harassment, involving the public posting of names and personal information, has been used by extremists to target communities and individuals. This kind of behavior also will not be tolerated and should be reported through appropriate school channels. When applicable, we will refer these cases to external authorities," the statement read.
Reactions from prominent figures came following the release of the student statement such as billionaire hedge fund manager Leon Cooperman announcing his decision to halt donations to Columbia on Wednesday, criticizing student-led pro-Palestinian protests during an appearance on Fox Business's The Claman Countdown.
The statement, signed by over 20 student groups at Columbia, extended their "condolences for the tragic losses experienced by both Palestinians and Israelis," simultaneously calling on the Ivy League institution to sever its associations with what they referred to as "apartheid Israel," and to terminate its collaborative efforts with Tel Aviv University.
Concluding their statement, the students issued a call to action, insisting that the university "protect its students right now."
Two Columbia Law School students part of organizations that signed the statement had employment offers from Davis and Polk law firm were rescinded, the New York Times reported.
A similar 'doxxing truck' with students' names and pictures was spotted at Harvard University on Oct. 11, with another website condemning the University of Pennsylvania's President, Elizabeth Magill.
