Reporters Roasting ‘Revolutionaries’ Food Demands During Columbia Building Takeover Goes Viral

Video of reporters roasting an activist’s food demands went viral and spurred online mockery of “revolutionaries” who took over a building at Columbia University to protest the Israel-Hamas war.

A spokesperson for the group of pro-Palestine protesters who took over Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall gave a press conference Tuesday — hours before an NYPD crackdown that began late in the evening.

The woman identified herself as a student at Columbia but refused to give reporters her name, citing threats to others.

In a clip that has gone viral, reporters challenge the woman over the protesters’ demand that food and water be brought in for those occupying the building, which she then denied saying:

REPORTER 2: Why should the university be obligated to provide food to people who’ve taken over a building?

ANONYMOUS SPOKESPERSON: Well, first of all, we’re saying that they’re obligated to provide food to students who pay for a meal plan here.

REPORTER 2: But you mentioned that there was a request that food and water be brought in. Unless I misunderstood —

ANONYMOUS SPOKESPERSON: To allow it to be brought in. I mean, well, I guess it’s ultimately a question of what kind of community and obligation Columbia feels it has to its students.

Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation or get severely ill even if they disagree with you?

If the answer is no, then you should allow basic — I mean, it’s crazy to say because we’re on an Ivy League campus, but this is like basic humanitarian aid we’re asking for. Like, could people please have a glass of water?

REPORTER 2: But they didn’t put themselves in that very deliberately in that situation and in that position. So it seems like you’re sort of saying, “We want to be revolutionaries. We want to take over this building. Now, would you please bring us food and water?”

ANONYMOUS SPOKESPERSON: Nobody’s asking them to bring anything, every — we’re, we’re asking them to not violently stop us from bringing in basic humanitarian aid.

REPORTER 3: They’re stopping the delivery of food?

ANONYMOUS SPOKESPERSON: I — we are looking for a commitment from them that they will not stop it.

REPORTER 3: But they haven’t stopped it.

ANONYMOUS SPOKESPERSON: Well, I don’t, I’m not, I don’t know to what extent it has been attempted, but we’re looking for a commitment.

But earlier in the press conference, the spokesperson repeatedly accused the university of “weaponizing” food and said the protesters “are asking for a commitment from Columbia for food and water to be brought in.”

The exchange with reporters went viral with a blizzard of mockery:

A longer version of the exchange shows how the topic came up and includes additional followup questions.

Watch above via pool.