“Israel bombs, Cornell pays” and “Blood is on your hands” were spray painted in red along the front entrance of Day Hall — Cornell’s main administrative building.
The front door glass was also smashed, and yellow caution tape was wrapped around the building’s entrance on Monday morning as repair workers came to mend the damage.
In a statement to The Sun, the activists behind the graffiti said, “We had to accept that the only way to make ourselves heard is by targeting the only thing the university administration truly cares about: property.”
“With the start of this new academic year, the Cornell administration is trying desperately to upkeep a facade of normalcy knowing that, since last semester, they have been working tirelessly to uphold Cornell’s function as a fascist, classist, imperial machine,” the activists, who asked to remain anonymous, wrote.
The pro-Palestine activists targeted Day Hall on the first day of the fall semester, amid a historic strike from Cornell workers and following two semesters of extensive pro-Palestine demonstrations.
The activists claimed that former president Martha Pollack “tried to sneak away into retirement” after declining to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from weapons manufacturers with ties to Israel, despite students voting overwhelmingly in favor of both actions on a referendum.
The activists also said that President Michael Kotlikoff “has been antagonizing workers that keep this university running by engaging in bad-faith negotiations with the union and deploying scab workers — even himself — to undermine the solidarity of workers and power of the ongoing strike.”
The University has attempted to hire retirees to alleviate staff shortages brought on by the UAW Local 2300 strike and told some student workers they would lose housing and meal swipe benefits if they declined to work. Kotlikoff was seen over the weekend serving baked goods at Morrison Dining in a Cornell Dining outfit, filling in for the staff shortage there, according to the UAW.
A University statement sent by Kotlikoff and Interim Provost John Siliciano to the Cornell community on Monday morning did not directly respond to the graffiti but instead explained the necessity to balance rights to free speech and ensure “a learning environment free of unlawful harassment and discrimination.”
“Acts of violence, extended occupation of buildings, or destruction of property (including graffiti), will not be tolerated and will be subject to immediate public safety response,” Kotlikoff and Siliciano wrote.
Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina condemned the graffiti in a Monday afternoon statement. The people who vandalized Day Hall, Malina wrote, are being investigated by Cornell Police and will see conduct referrals and potential criminal charges.
“We are appalled by the graffiti spraypainted, and glass shattered overnight along the front entrance of Day Hall,” Malina wrote. “Acts of violence, extended occupation of buildings, or property damage (including graffiti) will not be tolerated and will prompt an immediate response from public safety.”
The activists vowed to “continue to take action and escalate for divestment, for a free Palestine, for land back, and for all liberation struggles resisting imperialism.” The activists also expressed their disillusionment with “debates and peaceful protests,” saying that “these on their own will never be enough to achieve the change we demand.”
Update, 8/26, 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, 8/26, 11:40 a.m.: This article has been updated to include information about a University statement sent by President Michael Kotlikoff and Interim Provost John Siliciano.
Correction, Aug. 26, 2:50 p.m.: A previous version of this article used an outdated statement by Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina.