Faced for two weeks with a movement of pro-Palestinian students and activists, Columbia University threatened on Tuesday to dismiss those who have occupied a campus building since last night.
Columbia University in New York, faced for two weeks with a movement of students and pro-Palestinian activists, threatened Tuesday to dismiss those who have occupied a campus building since last night. “We deplore that demonstrators have chosen the path of escalation through their actions (…). The students who occupy the building face (a risk of) dismissal,” Ben Chang, spokesperson, wrote in a statement. parole from Columbia.
The large and highly renowned Manhattan University has been the epicenter for two weeks of a national movement on American campuses, on both sides of the United States, in support of the Palestinian cause and strong winds against the war being waged by Israel in the Gaza Strip, facing Hamas. After the failure of negotiations on Monday to dismantle a tent encampment occupied by pro-Palestinian students and activists, the Columbia presidency set an ultimatum of Monday noon for them to leave.
Faced with the refusal of a few dozen people, the university began Monday evening to administratively “suspend” students. During the night, protesters barricaded themselves in one building, Hamilton Hall, and others surrounded it in a human chain outside. “We made it very clear yesterday that university activity cannot be constantly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules,” Mr. Chang thundered in the press release.
“Continuing like this will clearly have consequences,” threatened Columbia’s communications director, accusing the building’s occupants of “vandalism, breaking doors and windows and blocking access.” Last Friday, the presidency of Columbia had given up on having the New York police evacuate the encampment and had undertaken not to call on the police.