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Symmes Cannon
Symmes Cannon [Symmes Lin Cannon] was arrested at a pro-Hamas rally after occupying a campus building at Barnard College (Barnard) in March 2025 during Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists. Israel launched the war after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, injured thousands and kidnapped hundreds more that day. For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
In March 2025, the Washington Free Beacon shared a screenshot of a since-deleted webpage, where Cannon was listed as the deputy editor at The Eye, a weekly magazine published by Columbia University (Columbia)'s student newspaper, The Columbia Daily Spectator.
As of the same date, Cannon was listed as a student in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia, slated to graduate in 2027.
Columbia is located in New York, New York.
On March 6, 2025, Washington Free Beacon reported that Cannon was arrested along with eight other anti-Israel activists on March 5, 2025, at a pro-Hamas rally after occupying Barnard's Milstein Library.
Cannon was charged with "disorderly conduct, trespassing, and obstructing governmental administration."
Following the arrest, StopAntiSemitism reported that Cannon was suspended by Columbia.
The library takeover, which was organized by the pro-terror student coalition Columbia University Apartheid Divest group (CUAD), was in support of students who had been suspended for interrupting a "History of Modern Israel" class on January 21, 2025, and distributing anti-Semitic flyers.
During the takeover, anti-Israel activists distributed pamphlets published by the "Hamas Media Office" justifying the group's October 7, 2023 terror attacks. They also chanted: "Intifada, intifada! Globalize the Intifada!"
The term “intifada,” which translates from Arabic as “uprising” or “insurrection,” carries the connotation of violence. Palestinian intifadas waged against Israel have been marked since 1987 by hundreds of hijackings, shootings, stabbings, bombings and suicide missions.
The activists also shared posters that read: "DEATH TO AMERICA," writing the same message in the library's guest book. They also shared posters in support of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Yahya (Yehiya) Sinwar masterminded the October 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel. While serving four life sentences in Israel, he was released to Gaza following the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal. On October 17, 2024, the Israel Defense Forces eliminated Sinwar in Gaza.
During the takeover, protesters also chanted: "Disclose! Divest! We will not stop! We will not rest!" and held a wanted poster of Barnard president Laura Ann Rosenbury.
Classes were reportedly disrupted and the police were sent to the location, citing a "bomb threat."
On March 5, 2025, New York Times reported that this was the "second such sit-in to take place at Barnard over the issue," with anti-Israel activists having previously "staged a sit-in at Milbank Hall."
On October 7, 2023, Hamas murdered approximately 1,200 Israelis, kidnapped hundreds and wounded thousands. War crimes included mass rape and torture. Many Palestinian civilians participated in and supported the attacks, and Gazans working in the targeted Israeli communities gave intelligence to Hamas on where to strike.
For more information, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by pro-terror activist Omar Barghouti in 2005 to turn “Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.” Barghouti has also called for Israel's destruction and the BDS movement demands would result in that same goal.
BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.
The movement’s most notable achievement has been infiltrating university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments propose resolutions to boycott or divestment from Israel or Israeli-affiliated entities. BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents and pro-terror activism on campus.
