A Staples High School graduate was among 9 people arrested, after more than 200 protestors took over Barnard College’s main library on Wednesday.
Gabrielle Wimer was part of the pro-Palestinian group. According to the New York Times, they demanded “the reversal of the expulsions of two Barnard students who were punished for interrupting a ‘History of Modern Israel’ class on Jan. 21 and distributing fliers, including one that showed a jackboot squashing a Jewish star.
“They also called for the reinstatement of a student expelled for participating in the takeover of Hamilton Hall on the Columbia campus last spring.”
The New York Post said that “the protesters smashed glass, barricaded the building from the inside and draped a large flag calling for ‘intifada.'”
Pro-Palestinian protestors at Barnard College. Many wore masks and keffiyehs. (Photo/Michael Nagle for New York Post)
It added, “the disruptors taken into custody included several from privileged backgrounds, including one whose family founded the popular Hampton Jitney bus service in the 1970s — and one rabble rouser who had been busted at two other protests and has called for the ‘overthrow’ of America.”
The Washington Free Beacon said, “Wimer is a medical student at Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. According to screenshots of her LinkedIn that has since been deleted, she is ‘passionate about global health and human rights’ and has ‘experience in research, program management, and community outreach in multicultural settings.’
“Wimer is the Class of 2025 president, the programming coordinator for Columbia’s Human Rights and Asylum Clinic, and an active member of Columbia’s chapters of White Coats for Black Lives and Students for a National Health Program, according to an online bio.”
Gabrielle Wimer’s LinkedIn profile. It has since been deleted.
A 2016 “06880” story focused on Wimer’s work with mealworms. The larval form of a beetle — once thought of as a pest — can be baked or fried, for human consumption as a healthful snack food. They help improve nutrition in areas that desperately need it.
She was part of a group that won $20,000 in seed funding, from 3 organizations, including the Clinton Global Initiative University Resolution Project, for work that could help solve pressing health issues.
“This is perfect for me,” she said. “It combines science, sustainable agriculture and public health.”
Part of her mealworm research took place at Wakeman Town Farm.
Gabby Wimer
The story noted that in Wimer was a 4-year varsity swimmer and water polo player at Staples, where she also played violin, and sang in the choir.
She spent 8 years swimming with the Y’s Water Rats, and helped out with Amnesty International.
She majored in history, philosophy, and social study of science and medicine, as well as human rights. at the University of Chicago, and did volunteer work in Rwanda.
Before medical school at Columbia, Gabrielle worked in global health and education in Guatemala and Jordan.
“I always wanted to do global health work. But I never knew about mealworms,” Gabby told “06880.”
Westporters reacted strongly to the news.
“God help us all if Columbia allows her to remain in medical school,” one woman wrote to “06880.”
A post on social media said: “This young individual did great things in the past … what happened to make her lose her moral compass?
Protests continued Thursday, at Columbia University.
Wimer and the others were released with desk appearance tickets.
