A video shared on TikTok claims Columbia University announced classes will be remote for the rest of the school year “due to anti-Israel protests.”

@michelle.sbarbati♬ original sound – Michelle Sbarbati

Verdict: Misleading

According to an Apr. 22 statement from the Provost’s Office, all classes at the university’s main Morningside campus will be hybrid until the end of the Spring 2024 semester.

Fact Check:

Isra Hirsi, daughter of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, visited Columbia University Apr. 25 to show support for pro-Palestinian protestors, according to the New York Post. Hirsi, who attends Barnard College, was among 108 people arrested for trespass at a recent pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University, NBC News reported.

“Breaking: Columbia University announced classes will be remote for the remainder of the school year due to anti-Israel protests,” text overlay on the TikTok video reads. The video, which features the scene of a large group of individuals protesting in support of Palestine amid the current Israel-Hamas War, has been commented on over 100 times as of writing.

The claim is false. According to an Apr. 22 statement from the Provost’s Office, all classes at the university’s main Morningside campus will be hybrid until the end of the Spring 2024 semester.

“All faculty whose classrooms are located on the main Morningside campus and equipped with hybrid capabilities should enable them to provide virtual learning options to students who need such a learning modality. Faculty in other classrooms or teaching spaces that do not have capabilities for offering hybrid options should hold classes remotely if there are student requests for virtual participation. If the class does not permit adapting to the remote offering format, we encourage faculty to provide other accommodations liberally to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week,” the statement reads in part.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. Politifact debunked the claim via an April 25 article, citing the same statement from the Provost’s Office. CNN also reported Columbia would move to a hybrid learning model, indicating the university’s last day of classes is Monday, Apr. 29. (RELATED: Video Claims To Show Fire In Jordan After Iranian Attack)

In an Apr. 23 statement, the university’s President Minouche Shafik said investigations are underway to identify protestors who “violated” the school’s policies.

“I also want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior. We are working to identify protestors who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and they will be put through appropriate disciplinary processes. The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination is antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to be a community of mutual respect and kindness,” Shafik stated.

Recent pro-Palestine protests have impacted multiple university campuses, including Columbia. According to local news outlet ABC 7 NY, “more protestors were arrested Thursday evening.”

Check Your Fact has contacted Columbia University for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.