Natasha Lightfoot is a Columbia University professor who has repeatedly supported extremist movements and justified acts of terrorism. She has actively participated in radical protests, defended violent actions, and promoted rhetoric that emboldens hate.

Radical Activism & Justification of Violence

• Endorsed Hamas Terrorism: Signed an open letter on October 30, 2023, that defended Hamas’s deadly attacks, describing them as a “military response” and a “right to resist.”

• Defended Extremist Student Protests: Praised Columbia student groups who justified terror and engaged in aggressive campus demonstrations.

• Celebrated Anti-Semitic Campus Occupation: Supported the illegal encampments and the violent takeover of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall in April 2024, where radicals held university workers hostage and destroyed property.

• Promoted Divisive Rhetoric: Used social media to glorify radical actions, calling protests that involved illegal acts “the spirit of a just cause.”

Key Incidents

• May 2024: Pro-Hamas Encampment & Graduation Event

  • Participated in a “People’s Graduation” event celebrating student activists suspended for extremist campus actions.

  • Publicly expressed deep emotional support for the movement, despite its ties to violence and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

• April 2024: Columbia Campus Takeover

  • Encouraged students who occupied a campus building, held workers hostage, and engaged in property destruction.

  • Criticized law enforcement intervention while ignoring the threats and crimes committed by protesters.

• October 2023: Justification of Hamas Attacks

  • Signed a faculty letter that defended the October 7 terrorist attacks, which included mass murder, rape, and kidnappings.

  • Used academic language to downplay terrorism and excuse acts of extreme violence.

A Threat to Campus Life

Natasha Lightfoot has positioned herself as an open supporter of extremism, violence, and anti-Semitic ideologies. Through her words and actions, she has repeatedly excused, justified, and amplified dangerous rhetoric, making her a central figure in radical academic activism.