‘Happy Hunting:' Ad Seeks Columbia Protesters' Face Photos For Cash

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — Help wanted: a photographer to take photos of Columbia University student protesters' faces.

An online classified seeking pics of pro-Palestine protesters appeared on Craigslist Friday before it disappeared, according to archived versions of the post.

The ad, which sought “street photographers” for a "Columbia University Hamas Supporter Photo Session,” solicited clear photos of each “Hamas supporter” for $20 a pop via Venmo.

The posting appeared to have been posted about 9:30 a.m. and was taken down and replaced by a "flagged for removal" error message by 5 p.m., according to a Patch review of the post.

“Be smart and catch these kids slackin and pick up easy $20 per photo,” the posting reads. “Happy hunting and we are looking forward to paying you $20 for every face (only one payment per face).”

A call for photographers for a "Columbia University Hamas Supporter Photo Session" was posted to Craigslist today (later flagged for removal). While it's unclear who the poster is, the ad asked for clear photos of each "Hamas supporter" in exchange for $20 per face pic via Venmo pic.twitter.com/o30kEILMHj
— Nicole Rosenthal (they/them) (@ByNRosenthal) May 3, 2024

It’s unclear who the poster behind the ad is. Patch has reached out to Craigslist for a request for comment.

News of the troubling posting comes as Columbia University canceled its planned university-wide May 15 commencement amid lingering tensions from a violent crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests. Read more: Columbia Cancels Large-Scale Graduation Amid Pro-Palestinian Protests

You can view a screenshot of the original Craigslist post below:

This is wild. An ad on Craigslist aimed at collecting photos to dox students. pic.twitter.com/yl6Ob0Wjto
— Lama Al-Arian (@lalarian) May 4, 2024