Hamas-style intimidation
Masked Protesters Torment October 7 Survivor at Pomona College, Chanting 'Zionists Not Welcome'
Outrage at Pomona College as masked agitators in keffiyehs violently disrupt a memorial for victims of the October 7 Hamas massacre, storming in, shouting “Zionists not welcome here,” and terrifying attendees just moments after a survivor’s testimony.
In a tense incident at Pomona College in California, four masked individuals clad in keffiyehs stormed an on-campus memorial event commemorating the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, disrupting a speech by survivor Yoni Viloga from Kibbutz Mefalsim.
The disruption occurred late last week, shortly after attendees viewed graphic footage of the attacks, with protesters chanting "Zionists not welcome here" and banging on doors, echoing the attire and tactics seen in videos of Hamas terrorists.
Viloga, who survived Hamas terrorists invading his home and abducting friends and family during the assault that killed 1,200 Israelis, was sharing his personal story when the group burst in, prompting a swift evacuation for safety.
The event, organized by Pomona's Hillel chapter, aimed to honor victims of the attacks amid ongoing campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
Footage captured the protesters entering Carnegie Hall, where the talk was held, and confronting attendees before being escorted out by campus safety.
Witnesses described the intrusion as particularly disturbing, coming minutes after screenings of Hamas's violent incursions, with the protesters' masks and keffiyahs mirroring the terrorists' appearance in the videos.
No injuries were reported, but the event ended abruptly.
Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr condemned the actions in a campus-wide email on October 17, stating the disruption violated college policies on free speech and community standards.
The administration has launched an investigation to identify the individuals, believed to be students, and potential disciplinary measures.
Hillel leaders expressed outrage, calling it an act of intimidation that retraumatized survivors and attendees. Jewish advocacy groups and commentators decried the protest as mimicking terrorism, with Israeli activist Hen Mazzig sharing footage on X, highlighting the irony of "dressing like Hamas" to disrupt a survivor's testimony.
Social media erupted with condemnation, labeling it "appalling" and calling for expulsions, while some defended the action as free speech against "Zionism."
This event follows a pattern of pro-Palestinian activism at Pomona, including a major rally on October 7, 2025, marking the attack's anniversary, and earlier arrests during April 2024 protests. Anti-Israel groups on campus have called for divestment from companies tied to Israel, amid rising reports of antisemitism at U.S. colleges since the war began.