Pomona investigates Hillel memorial disruption as anonymous statement defends protestors’ actions

Pomona College’s President’s Office informed the school community via an email this morning that four masked individuals disrupted a Hillel memorial honoring those lost in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel last night – (Courtesy: Pomona College)

Updated Oct. 22 at 7:18 p.m.

On the night of Oct. 15, Hillel held a memorial honoring those lost in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which — according to an email from the President’s Office of Pomona College sent the next morning — was disrupted by four masked individuals. On Oct. 17, an anonymous statement sent to TSL defended the protesters’ actions and called out Pomona and Hillel for “endorsement and defense of genocide.”

Hillel’s event began at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 in Hart Room 201 at the Smith Campus Center. Oct. 7 survivor Yoni Viloga attended to speak about his experience, answer questions and participate in the memorial service. 

The anonymous statement outlined the protesters’ contentions with Pomona’s hosting of Viloga. They criticized Viloga’s history of service with “zionist occupational forces” and his familial ties to “genocidal settlers” through his father and brother, who served in the IDF. 

“It tracks that a genocidal institution would allow the spawn of a genocidal lineage onto campus,” the statement said. “Knowing this, we had to act.”

The anonymous statement claims responsibility for the disruption: “At approximately 8pm, we barged into Viloga’s circus show,” the anonymous statement read. The statement detailed how the protesters were immediately “swarmed,” physically pushed and “shoved” by event attendees.

The email from the President’s Office of Pomona College said that the protesters “burst through a locked fire door, shouting.” An Oct. 16 statement from Hillel’s executive director, Dr. Bethany Slater, said the protesters were “yelling hateful things, including ‘Zionists not welcome here.’” 

Slater wrote that the interruption was “jarring” and “deeply upsetting” for the students, faculty and staff present, but praised event attendees’ display of “courage” and maintenance of “composure.” 

“What matters most is that we are not intimidated,” Slater wrote in Hillel’s statement. “We are strong– and even stronger together. Despite the interruption, we ended the night as we began: in community, dancing together to celebrate the safe return of our hostages and holding fast to hope.”

Security personnel were the first to arrive at the scene, having been stationed outside the vigil. According to Slater’s statement, “the individuals [protesters] were removed quickly.”

In their email, President Gabrielle Starr and Dean of Students Avis Hinkson wrote that Pomona has yet to identify the protesting individuals but is actively “examining video footage taken during the event, as well as security footage to determine how access could have been gained.” The college is also “reviewing our security protocols for on-campus events.”

Pomona is launching an investigation into the incident, for which they are asking community members to supply any footage they might have to oct15disruption@pomona.edu. 

“We have seen videos of the incident and they are shocking and deeply disturbing,” the email read. “It is both outrageous and cruel to interrupt a space where members of our community come together to mourn. Antisemitic hate cannot be tolerated here. Our community is better than this.”

Scripps College President Amy Marcus-Newhall said that Scripps will cooperate with Pomona’s investigation in an Oct. 20 email to the school community.

“If anyone affiliated with Scripps is identified as violating any of our codes of conduct with respect to this incident, a disciplinary process will be pursued,” she wrote. “ … I feel compelled to reassert that Scripps will not allow any form of hatred to undermine our commitment to remaining a welcome and inclusive community.”

In their anonymous statement, the self-proclaimed protesters emphasized that they remain unaffected by Pomona’s threat of investigation. 

“Pomona College, like the state, needs you to be afraid,” the anonymous statement read. “Fear is a powerful counterinsurgent tactic, and it suppresses any form of dissent.”

The anonymous statement concluded with a call to action, encouraging the 5C community to continue to stand up to zionism. “Genocide is behind that facade, and we refuse to take part in it,” they wrote.

Pomona’s email also provided counseling and other related resources: Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS) and McAlister Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, as well as the 5Cs-provided TimelyCare for online and 24-hour support. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Editor’s note: After the initial disturbance to the vigil, an anonymous email sent a statement to TSL. This statement contained inflammatory and offensive language. For this reason we are not including a copy of the email, and most of its contents are not included in our reporting of the disturbance.

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