A contractor hired to cover up anti-Israel vandalism at Ohio’s Case Western Reserve University refused to let protesters get in the way of his job — opting, instead, to simply paint right over them when they declined to move.
The unidentified worker was filmed spraying the defiant protesters with white paint as they tried to block him from covering up their pro-Palestine graffiti on the Cleveland campus’ “Spirit Wall” early Tuesday morning.
A clip being shared widely on social media showed the painter — who school officials described as a “third-party contractor” — inching closer to the demonstrators as he slowly covered up the vandalism.
When the protesters refused to get out of the way and quickly donned protective face masks, the painter then hit them with the paint.
CWRU President Eric W. Kaler ordered the clean up after condemning what he described as “threatening, intimidating and antisemitic” language scrawled across two campus walls.
“I strongly condemn the language posted yesterday on the advocacy wall, and want to reiterate to our entire community that such language — no matter to whom it is directed — will not be tolerated on our campus,” he said in a statement.
“After defacing the advocacy wall, later in the evening, the protesters painted the spirit wall … with language that was less threatening but still intimidating to some in our community.”
In the wake of the painting saga, the CWRU’s Students for Justice in Palestine group decried the incident, arguing the students had been “assaulted.”
Kaler issued a follow up statement saying he, too, was “disturbed” by the footage.
“Let me be clear: No students — or any individuals — should ever be treated this way, especially on a campus where our core values center on providing a safe, welcoming environment,” Kaler said.
“This is not who we are as an institution, and I am deeply sorry this ever occurred,” in a statement.
“The university will continue to fully investigate these actions and hold individuals responsible for this behavior, including the failure of our own officers to intervene,” he added.
