Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosts town hall in Ithaca amid student chants

Approximately 2,000 people attended the “Students vs. Billionaires” town hall featuring Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center in New York. The event, held in conjunction with the student activist organization More Perfect Union, was intended to boost Democratic turnout ahead of the November elections.

During the event, co-chairs of the Cornell University Young Democratic Socialists of America, Mina Petrova and Zoe Reisman, led the crowd in chanting “from the river to the sea” and “long live the student intifada.” Petrova criticized Cornell University, describing it as a capitalist institution that prioritizes profit over students and community.

Ocasio-Cortez addressed issues regarding free speech on campus, specifically mentioning the suppression of student protesters regarding Palestine and other topics.