WATCH: Authorities investigate disruption of OCTOBER 7 play

(The Center Square) – The Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern University has called on multiple levels of government to investigate the disruption of a play called “OCTOBER 7” at Cahn Auditorium on the school’s Evanston campus.

The performance on the evening of Oct. 6 was hosted by Northwestern Hillel and dramatized verbatim testimony from survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.

Producer Phelim McAleer, said someone pulled the fire alarm with about 20 minutes left in the play.

“Some demon, some absolute demon decided he didn't like Jewish people and he didn't like Israeli people telling the truth of October 7th, so they pulled the fire alarm,” McAleer told The Center Square.

McAleer said people first thought the alarm was part of the play, but then believed they were in danger.

“People actually thought something was happening. They were terrified that there was going to be a shooting or a bombing. They were ordered to evacuate the building,” McAleer said.

Danielle Pearl attended the play and said it was intense and very powerful.

“Many of us just sort of sat in our seats and froze, looking at the cast for, you know, maybe visual cues on their faces or what they were doing and how they were reacting because we couldn't tell right away if it was part of the play or not,” Pearl told The Center Square.

Pearl said she chose not to return after the alarm sounded.

“People were leaving from various exit points, and so there wasn't any sort of direction being given as to what this was and the nature of it or anything. I just think we felt, sadly, like we just didn't have enough information to know,” Pearl said.

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WATCH: Authorities investigate disruption of OCTOBER 7 play

University police referred The Center Square to Northwestern’s media relations department, which did not immediately respond to a request for an update or statement.

McAleer said he didn’t know who pulled the alarm, but he knew their motive.

“I've spoken to police. They've asked for our footage of the night, etc., so they are taking it seriously,” McAleer said.

McAleer said the play ran off Broadway at Princeton, UCLA and other schools, but Northwestern is the only place where the performance was disrupted.

CAAN referred the case to the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services.

The group also submitted a complaint to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Hate Crimes Unit.

Pearl said she believes a full investigation is deserved.

As reported by The Center Square in August, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law asked the DOJ to investigate whether Northwestern’s relationship with Qatar violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

In a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Brandeis Center general counsel Evan Slavitt wrote that the Qatari government-controlled Qatar Foundation paid Northwestern $737 million in connection with its satellite campus in the Qatari capital, Doha, including annual operating support ranging from $25 million to $35 million, annual management fees which are used in part to support the university’s communications and journalism schools in Evanston, and a $15 million capital investment.