On Monday, April 29, negotiations between the administration of the Ivy League school Columbia University in New York and pro-Palestinian protesters regarding the dismantling of a campus campsite failed. The university administration demanded that students voluntarily disperse, or they would face disciplinary action. Around 5 p.m. on Monday, Columbia University began issuing notices of suspension to students who were camping. Additionally, another Ivy League school, Cornell University, also implemented measures to suspend students who were camping on campus.
Despite the threats from the university, Columbia students remained undeterred and stayed in their tents. As of 4 p.m. on Monday, there were still tents on campus, with outsiders unable to enter the university. However, there were intense debates between individuals with opposing views outside the campus, with police patrolling nearby. A pro-Israel individual from New York mentioned that the situation on campus had been escalating in the past two weeks, and the university could not guarantee the safety of Jewish students.
Columbia University President Dr. Nemat Shafik stated in a declaration on Monday that Columbia University would not yield to the students’ demands, meaning they would not withdraw support for Israeli businesses. However, the university was willing to invest in health and education in Gaza and increase transparency in its direct investment holdings.
Shafik emphasized the importance of ensuring the personal safety of all campus members as a priority. He also highlighted that all members had the right to express their opinions while respecting others’ rights to do the same. Therefore, protests must adhere to restrictions on time, location, and manner. Additionally, the right of one group to express their views should not come at the expense of silencing another group. Lastly, anti-Semitic words and actions were deemed unacceptable.
The university instructed protesting students to remove all tents by 2 p.m. on the 29th. Those who chose not to comply were required to sign a form acknowledging the consequences of not leaving, which included facing disciplinary suspension for further review.
However, the protesting students vowed to continue camping on the Manhattan campus until Columbia University met their three demands: divest from Israel, financial transparency at Columbia, and amnesty for students punished for participating in protests.
The “Columbia Divest Apartheid Alliance” released a statement on Monday, stating, “These repugnant intimidation tactics are meaningless in comparison to the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians; we will not move until Columbia University meets our demands or until we are forcibly removed.”
Previously, on Thursday, April 18, President Shafik had requested the New York City police to clear out the tents on campus, leading to the arrest of over 100 students. This action was condemned and protested both on and off-campus by pro-Palestinian individuals.
Subsequently, the students rebuilt the campsite. These renewed protests triggered dozens of similar demonstrations at university campuses from California to Boston.