Hate on Campus? Princeton Student Speaks Out After Being Targeted During Anti-Israel Protest

What began as a planned lecture on global affairs at one of America’s most prestigious universities turned into a disturbing display of hate, as protesters hijacked the event and hurled shocking slurs at Jewish students.

Danielle Shapiro, a senior at Princeton University, says she was the target of vile antisemitic abuse during a protest against the appearance of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who was invited to speak on campus.

The event, meant to encourage dialogue and political discourse, was derailed roughly 20 minutes in when about 25 students stood up and began chanting. Things quickly spiraled. As tensions escalated, someone pulled the fire alarm, forcing a full evacuation of the venue and leaving students and guests outside — face-to-face with a crowd of over 200 aggressive demonstrators.

But it wasn’t just political chanting. According to Shapiro, the crowd crossed the line into blatant bigotry.

“I was called an ‘inbred swine’ and told to ‘go back to Europe,’” she revealed in an interview with Fox News.

These words shook her to the core. Shapiro says she tried to stand calmly and hold a small Israeli flag — only to be verbally attacked and intimidated by individuals in the crowd.

“It’s not about political disagreements anymore. This was personal, cruel, and hateful,” she added.

The backlash has ignited national attention and renewed concern over rising antisemitism on college campuses, particularly amid escalating global tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.

In response to the incident, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber released a statement saying he was “appalled” by the reports of hate speech and emphasized the school’s commitment to free speech without harassment or intimidation.

Jewish advocacy groups, including StandWithUs and the Anti-Defamation League, have called on Princeton and other universities to do more to protect Jewish students from targeted harassment masked as political activism.

“This isn’t protest — this is persecution,” one advocacy group leader said.

Meanwhile, Shapiro and others are calling on the administration to hold those responsible accountable and to establish clearer consequences for hate-fueled behavior on campus.

“No student, no matter their background or beliefs, should ever feel unsafe expressing who they are,” Shapiro said.