New York City, United States – A video shared by the X account Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students shows a protest blocking the intersection of Broadway and 116th Street outside Columbia University. The demonstration unfolded directly in front of the campus, stopping traffic in both directions.

Students and faculty are seen forming a human chain and sitting across the roadway in a coordinated action opposing ICE and Israel. The scene takes place under the overcast winter skies typical of early February in Manhattan.

Several protesters hold signs with anti-ICE and pro-Palestine messages. Some wear keffiyehs while chanting slogans, including “From the river to the sea,” a phrase linked by supporters to Palestinian statehood and by critics to anti-Israel or genocidal interpretations.

Police officers are visible responding to the blockade as the situation develops. Arrests are shown or suggested as protesters are detained or removed from the street.

The surroundings include halted vehicles, bystanders, campus buildings, crosswalks, and street signs, underscoring the disruption at a busy university gateway.

The clip was posted on February 5, 2026, around 4:20 PM EST, with the filming occurring shortly before at approximately 3:50 PM. It rapidly gained over 20,000 views along with hundreds of likes and reposts.

Reactions online were sharply divided, ranging from calls for disciplinary action against participants to defenses of protest rights, alongside sarcastic remarks about campus priorities.

Media organizations and agencies, including Storyful News and the Tokyo-based group Spectee, contacted the poster seeking usage rights with credit.

The protest reflects continued campus activism at Columbia University in early 2026 amid intensified national debates over immigration enforcement and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The account sharing the video describes frustration with being “caught in the madness,” representing a pro-Israel and Jewish student viewpoint within the polarized environment.

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