Teen charged after attacking student hanging pro-Israel posters at Columbia University

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- Police have charged a teenager in an attack at Columbia University that stemmed from activism related to the Israel-Gaza war.

Maxwell Friedman, 19, was charged with assault and harassment as a hate crime. They say on Wednesday, Friedman began ripping down pro-Israeli posters and shouting obscenities at a 24-year-old student as he hung those posters.

Police say Friedman also struck the victim with a broomstick and fractured the man's finger.

The victim, who attends the Columbia School of General Studies, declined medical attention.

The university responded by restricting access to campus on the day of the assault 'to help maintain safety and a sense of community through planned demonstration activities.'