A fire alarm disrupted a performance of “October 7” at Northwestern University, forcing attendees to evacuate during a play featuring firsthand testimony from survivors of the Hamas terrorist attacks. (“OCTOBER 7 THE PLAY”)
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A fire alarm at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois interrupted a play recounting firsthand testimony from survivors of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Tuesday night, forcing an evacuation of the auditorium during a performance intended to commemorate the victims ahead of the massacre’s third anniversary.
The performance, titled “October 7,” was hosted by Northwestern Hillel and featured verbatim testimony from survivors and eyewitnesses of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken into Gaza.
Northwestern Media Relations told Fox News Digital that the fire alarm was activated during the performance at Cahn Auditorium, prompting an evacuation and a police investigation.
“At approximately 8:12 p.m., a fire alarm at Cahn Auditorium was activated, which caused the evacuation of the building,” a Northwestern Media Relations spokesperson said. “Upon a fire and police investigation, the building was determined safe, and guests invited back in. The event continued as planned and concluded at 9:45 p.m. The Northwestern University Police Department will continue their investigation.”
Northwestern University Police investigated a fire alarm that interrupted the “October 7” play at Cahn Auditorium, while university officials had not confirmed whether the alarm was deliberately activated. (“OCTOBER 7 THE PLAY”)
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A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned the broader climate facing Jewish students on college campuses in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
“Campuses have become radicalized, resulting in the ostracization of Jewish students on campus,” the spokesperson said. “Universities in the U.S. and throughout the West have to take a stand against antisemitism on campus. Administrative leave is a start, but if the allegations are borne out, the consequences need to be severe. That’s what zero tolerance means.”
The earliest widely circulated version of the video, which shows attendees evacuating the auditorium as a fire alarm sounded, was posted by Ann McElhinney, co-writer of the play “October 7,” who said in her post that the alarm hit “even stronger because it’s already October 7 in Israel.”
Author Hen Mazzig shared video showing attendees evacuating Northwestern University’s Cahn Auditorium after a fire alarm interrupted a performance commemorating victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre. (“OCTOBER 7 THE PLAY”)
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McElhinney’s co-author and husband, Phelim McAleer, called for those responsible to face consequences in an interview with the Jewish News Syndicate on Wednesday.
“The people responsible must be found and prosecuted,” McAleer said. “These people are demonic. Disrupting the truth, disrupting stories of tragedy and heroism. They should be ashamed of themselves. This just makes us all the more determined to take this play to every campus across America.”
The Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern (CAAN) shared a statement on its website, saying that the timing of the alarm was particularly troubling because the 2023 massacre began amid rocket attacks and air raid sirens warning Israeli civilians to seek shelter.
The Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern called for an investigation into whether antisemitic bias played a role in the fire alarm disruption of a play recounting the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. (“OCTOBER 7 THE PLAY”)
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However, the group emphasized that investigators had not established whether the alarm was deliberately activated. It said the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Unit was aware of the incident and called for authorities to examine whether antisemitic bias played a role.
The incident came less than a year after Northwestern reached a $75 million agreement with the Trump administration to resolve federal civil rights investigations involving allegations of antisemitism and discrimination on campus.
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Under the November 2025 agreement, Northwestern committed to strengthening protections for Jewish students, implementing mandatory antisemitism training and maintaining policies governing demonstrations and disruptions of university activities.
The production, created by McAleer and McElhinney and directed by Jeff Gurner, previously ran off-Broadway and was performed at several universities, including Princeton, UCLA and Bowdoin College.
CJ Womack is an associate editor at Fox News.
CJ joined Fox News Digital’s team in 2026, which highlights the vital role journalism plays in shaping politics and culture. He has years of experience analyzing and reporting on the news media.
CJ graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism.
You can send news tips to cj.womack@fox.com and follow CJ on Twitter.
