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By Isha Banerjee

New York State Assembly District 69 candidates have condemned the alleged chemical spraying of Columbia student protesters. Gov. Kathy Hochul, District 7 Council Member Shaun Abreu, CC ’14, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine also condemned the attacks.

During a pro-Palestinian rally last Friday, protestors were allegedly sprayed with a hazardous chemical, according to nearly two dozen protestors. Protestors reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and skin rashes, and many sought medical attention following the protest.

In response, Columbia banned the “alleged perpetrators” for committing “what appear to have been serious crimes, possibly hate crimes,” as announced by interim University Provost Dennis Mitchell in an email to the Columbia community on Monday. Mitchell said that the University is working with local and federal authorities to investigate the incident. Meanwhile, politicians took to X to condemn the alleged attacks and commit to communicating with the New York Police Department.

Abreu’s office is monitoring the “hostile incident” against protestors, according to a post made to X on Monday.

“Columbia has reported to us that they are cooperating with local and federal law enforcement,”Abreu wrote on X. “No student should be afraid to express themselves on campus or elsewhere in our city.”