“Israel bombs, Cornell pays” and “Blood is on your hands” were painted in red spray paint along the main entrance to Day Hall – Cornell’s main administrative building.
The glass pane of the front door was also smashed and the entrance to the building was cordoned off with yellow tape on Monday morning as repair workers arrived to fix the damage.
In a statement to The Sun, the activists behind the graffiti said: “We have had to accept that the only way we can make our voices heard is to attack the only thing that really matters to the university administration: property.”
“As the new academic year begins, the Cornell administration is desperately trying to maintain a facade of normalcy, knowing full well that it has worked tirelessly since last semester to maintain Cornell’s function as a fascist, class-conscious, imperial machine,” wrote the activists, who wished to remain anonymous.
The pro-Palestinian activists attacked Day Hall on the first day of the fall semester, in the midst of a historic strike by Cornell workers and after two semesters of extensive pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Activists claimed former President Martha Pollack was “trying to sneak into retirement” after refusing to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from weapons manufacturers with ties to Israel, even though students overwhelmingly voted for both measures in a referendum.
The activists also said that President Michael Kotlikoff “has alienated the workers who keep this university operating by negotiating in bad faith with the union and using strikebreakers – even himself – to undermine worker solidarity and the power of the ongoing strike.”
The university has tried to hire retirees to help ease staffing shortages caused by the UAW Local 2300 strike and told some student employees they would lose their room and board benefits if they refused to work. Kotlikoff was seen serving baked goods at a Cornell Dining business’ Morrison Dining over the weekend to help fill staffing shortages there, the UAW said.
A university statement sent to the Cornell community Monday morning by Kotlikoff and interim provost John Siliciano did not respond directly to the graffiti, but instead explained the need to strike a balance between the right to free speech and ensuring a “learning environment free from unlawful harassment and discrimination.”
“Acts of violence, prolonged occupations of buildings, or destruction of property (including graffiti) will not be tolerated and must be met with immediate public safety measures,” Kotlikoff and Siliciano wrote.
Joel Malina, vice president for university relations, condemned the vandalism in a statement Monday afternoon. The individuals who vandalized Day Hall are being investigated by Cornell police, Malina wrote, and face suspension and criminal prosecution.
“We are appalled by the graffiti sprayed and glass broken at the main entrance to Day Hall overnight,” Malina wrote. “Acts of violence, prolonged occupation of buildings or damage to property (including graffiti) will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate public safety response.”
The activists vowed to “continue to take action and campaign for divestment, for a free Palestine, for the return of the land and for all liberation struggles against imperialism.” The activists also expressed their disappointment with “debates and peaceful protests,” saying that “these alone will never be enough to achieve the change we demand.”
Update, 26.8., 2.15 p.m.: This article has been updated to include information about a university statement written by Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina.
Update, 26.8., 11:40 a.m.: This article has been updated to include information about a university statement from President Michael Kotlikoff and Interim Provost John Siliciano.
Correction, August 26, 2:50 p.m.: An earlier version of this article used an outdated statement from Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina.
