I witnessed Columbia University’s impotent surrender to the mob

At half-past-midnight yesterday, I received a text from a Columbia undergraduate friend: “They are attempting to occupy Hamilton Hall.”

It goes without saying that things inside were hectic. 

A couple students I know closely attempted to block the protesters from breaking into Hamilton, an audacious last stand that ended with them being shoved, grabbed, and later threatened anonymously.

Other friends dialed 911, troubled by ongoing vandalism and the very real possibility of an all-out brawl.

Outside, I saw your typical sign-waving, starry-eyed students, along with another darkly-clad cohort of protestors surveilling campus.

Their black balaclavas and combat boots made it clear they weren’t Columbians.