Photos Indicate Identity of Kicker

In the 16 days since a speech at Columbia by Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist erupted into a brawl, speculation has lingered over an individual seen on the Roone Arledge Auditorium stage who, according to video, photos, and eyewitness accounts of the event, appears to have kicked a protester walking below him on the auditorium floor.

An analysis of images from the scuffle, photos from earlier illegal immigration protests in New York, and an investigation by Spectator strongly indicate that man is Kevin Hahulski, a 26-year-old welder from Queens.

In an interview Wednesday night, Hahulski confirmed that he had attended Gilchrist's speech, but he declined to comment on the specifics of the event, citing legal considerations.

"I'm not a member of the Minutemen, but I support what they do," Hahulski added.

According to a series of photos taken by Spectator less than a minute into the brawl, a Caucasian man wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, glasses, and a plain blue baseball cap appears slightly in front and to the left of the lectern where Gilchrist had been speaking seconds earlier. He has a ponytail, bound twice, and a design on his shirt from United Association Local 1, a New York plumbers' union.

In a video taken by Spanish-language channel Univision, that same man appears to boot a person walking below him on the auditorium floor, later revealed to be Martin Lopez, CC '09. Lopez said in a press conference Oct. 9 that he was "kicked in the face" and left bleeding by the incident, though it is not clear from the available video if this is the case.

Lopez did not respond to requests for comment regarding this article.

The investigation revealed the same man had attended previous protests conducted by New Yorkers for Immigration Control and Enforcement, a group against illegal immigration that had several members in attendance at Gilchrist's speech.

In particular, he appears in photos published by the Village Voice of a June 3 demonstration at the Mexican consulate, sporting the same hat, ponytail, and thin-rimmed glasses.

In a CBS article from the same rally, a man identified as Kevin Hahulski was quoted as saying, "[Illegal immigrants] do the jobs we won't do for the money they [employers] pay them. If you pay people a decent wage, they'll do the job. I know that for a fact. I'm a union construction worker."

Hahulski, a resident of Woodhaven, a neighborhood in southwestern Queens, agreed to an interview at a Dunkin' Donuts near his home Wednesday evening. Though Hahulski was interviewed for over an hour, he declined comment on his political philosophy on the record beyond saying he supported the Minutemen. Photos taken of Hahulski by Spectator in a public area reveal the same hallmarks as the man from the Oct. 4 brawl, including the same facial features, the blue cap, a tightly-bound ponytail, and metal-rimmed glasses.

In a University-wide e-mail sent Oct. 12, University President Lee Bollinger said that the administration was "investigating the actions of particular individuals who are not members of the Columbia community and will inform those whom we find to have committed violent or disruptive acts ... that they will not be allowed on campus again."

James McShane, associate vice president for Public Safety, declined to discuss the matter publicly, citing a policy of not commenting on ongoing investigations.

It is unclear if Hahulski could face criminal or civil penalties as a result of his apparent actions. In New York state, a person intentionally causing physical injury to another can be charged with assault in the third degree, an A misdemeanor that proscribes no minimum jail time.