Isra Hirsi (born February 22, 2003) is an American environmental activist. She co-founded and served as the co-executive director of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike.[1] In 2020, she was named in the Fortune's40 Under 40 Government and Politics list.[2] She is the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar.
Hirsi attended Barnard College of Columbia University prior to her suspension. She began studying there in fall 2021. She was suspended after participating in an on-campus tent encampment protesting the university's investments in Israel and Israel's invasion of Gaza on April 18, 2024.[8][9] Hirsi has claimed that she will continue protesting until her "demands are met."[10]
Hirsi coordinated the organization of hundreds of student-led strikes across the United States on March 15 and May 3, 2019.[4] She co-founded the U.S. Youth Climate Strike,[5] the American arm of a global youth climate change movement, in January 2019.[11][12][13] She acts as the co-executive director of this group.[5][14] In 2019, she won a Brower Youth Award.[15] That same year, Hirsi received the Voice of the Future Award.[7] In 2020, Hirsi was placed on BET's "Future 40" list.[16]
On April 18, 2024, Hirsi was suspended from Barnard College for taking part in what Barnard College claimed to be an "unauthorised encampment"[17]protest on the property of Columbia University in which there were calls for Columbia to divest from Israel.[8] She was also arrested by the NYPD later that day and released that evening.[18][19]
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
