A campaign event featuring Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Cornell University drew attention after student activists led the crowd in chants supporting the phrase “from the river to the sea.”
The Sunday “Students vs. Billionaires” town hall in Ithaca reportedly attracted around 2,000 people. Cornell University Young Democratic Socialists of America co-chairs Mina Petrova and Zoe Reisman led the chant while also calling for “student resistance.”
The event was organized as part of an effort by Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign to encourage Democratic turnout ahead of the November midterm elections. During her appearance, Ocasio-Cortez criticized what she described as restrictions on student activism and speech related to Palestine and other issues.
The phrase used during the event remains highly controversial. Supporters describe it as a call for Palestinian freedom, while critics argue that it can be interpreted as opposing Israel’s existence. The U.S. House previously passed a resolution condemning the slogan as antisemitic, though Ocasio-Cortez voted against that resolution.
