- Gaza war protesters persist despite arrests and disciplinary measures
- Columbia University extends deadline as negotiations progress
- Allegations of antisemitism arise amidst ongoing demonstrations
Despite disciplinary measures and mass arrests, Gaza war protesters have pledged to remain at Columbia University until their demands are fulfilled.
Last week, over a hundred students were apprehended at a protest encampment in Columbia; in recent days, dozens more have been detained at Yale and New York University.
A significant number of individuals enrolled at Columbia have been suspended, which has generated vocal demands for the abandonment or revocation of disciplinary measures.
Several students have reported antisemitic harassment at the hands of demonstrators on campus.
The university’s Tuesday deadline for demonstrators to disband by midnight has been extended by 48 hours, as “significant progress” has been reported in negotiations to resolve.
Dr. Nemat Shafik, the president of Columbia, had previously cautioned that in the absence of a resolution, she would be compelled to contemplate “alternative options” to clear the encampments before the commencement of classes on May 6, which preceded the commencement ceremonies later that month.
Even though hundreds of activists continued to inhabit tents on the university lawn on Tuesday afternoon, Columbia’s campus was tranquil.
Amidst a continuous accompaniment of “free Palestine” chants and drums, the entire vicinity was festooned with dozens of Palestinian flags and placards bearing slogans including “real Americans stand with Gaza,” “demilitarise education,” and “there are no universities left in Gaza.”
Volunteers conducted assemblies within the compound where they distributed donated supplies and shared the most recent news from Gaza.
In institutions throughout the United States, including the University of California–Berkeley, Yale, Emerson, and the University of Michigan, comparable encampments have emerged.
Demonstrators at Columbia University, organized in part by the organization Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), have demanded that the institution divest all of its funds, including its endowment, from companies and institutions that it claims profit from Israel’s “occupation” of Palestinians since last week.
These demands were denied earlier this year by a committee that advises the university on socially responsible investing, citing a lack of consensus in the Columbia community regarding the matter.
Additionally, CUAD urges the university to “sever ties” with New York police and suspend policing on campus, formally call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and sever ties with Israeli institutions such as Tel Aviv University.
“We are one hundred percent confident,” stated Basil, a member of the Palestinian Student Union, CUAD organizer, and master’s student.
It is entirely feasible for the university to divest from all the companies in which it has investments; doing so would be morally reprehensible and would inevitably come to an end.
Following the arrests that occurred last week, an additional demand was made: amnesty for demonstrators who are confronting disciplinary measures from the university. Certain individuals have been compelled to seek alternative lodging due to the loss of provisions for meals and accommodations.
An additional participant, Iralisa, a 2016 graduate who requested anonymity, revisited her place of graduation for the demonstration. She declared that the group would remain “determined to remain” until their demands were satisfied.
“They exhibit obstinacy,” she further stated.
Allegations, nevertheless, have tarnished the ongoing protests by claiming that faculty and students of Jewish faith have been targeted with antisemitic abuse. The university extended remote learning through the end of the semester in response to these concerns.
It appears that one social media video published by the Hasidic organization Chabad depicts Jewish students being subjected to a deluge of vitriolic abuse.
Certain US legislators, including Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, have also been captivated by the events. She issued a warning that an “unsanctioned mob” had established “an environment that is hazardous for Jewish students and faculty.”
Additionally, a rabbi affiliated with Columbia advised Jewish students earlier in the week to “return home” until the situation “substantially improves.”
Numerous protestors minimized apprehensions regarding antisemitism during the demonstrations. They contended in interviews that instances of harassment directed at Jewish students were infrequent and exaggerated by opponents of their demands.
A 21-year-old junior from Barnard, Columbia’s sister institution, Soph Askanase, a protester, disputed the notion that the campus had become unsafe for Jewish students like herself.
“Being unsafe is not the same as being uncomfortable,” she stated at an impromptu news conference alongside several Jewish protesters wearing Palestinian keffiyehs. It is dangerous to be arrested and dragged, to have red marks on your wrist for days after the fact, or to experience a seizure in jail, as one of my acquaintances did.
“I express compassion towards those who are uneasy with specific forms of rhetoric,” Ms. Askanase further stated. “However, I must mention that we are enrolled in a university that places a premium on free speech, open dialogue, and rhetoric.
Professor of literature Marianne Hirsch, who also specializes in Holocaust studies, stated that although antisemitism has “certainly occurred” at Columbia, she feared that the issue was being “misapplied and weaponized in the name of security and protection.”
She argued that this “actually restricted the academic freedom to be critical.” “Introducing armed police onto campus fosters an environment characterized by intimidation and fear.” That is not the purpose of this university.”
Tuesday at a news conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and senior police officials attributed the incitement of protests at Columbia and New York University to “external agitators” who “truly intended to use this as an opportunity to cause violence in our city.”
In contrast, Dr. Shafik has specifically attributed “a great deal of the incendiary language that is causing great distress for many” to “outside protesters.”
On the outskirts of Columbia’s campus, parallel demonstrations have emerged, one of which garnered the attention of a few dozen vocal participants located two blocks away on Tuesday.
Although they generally share the objectives of the outside demonstrations, certain student organizers have chosen to distance themselves from them.
“Those actions occurred autonomously.” Basil stated, “They essentially recognised that the campus had been militarised.” “By protesting outside, they attempted to show solidarity.”
Certain students, including those who were not directly involved in the protests, accused Dr. Shafik of inciting tensions on campus last week by ordering the police to remove the campsite.
Between classes on Tuesday afternoon, Jacob, an undergraduate, observed the encampment from a distance with a backpack slung over his shoulders. He remarked, “That was pouring fuel on the fire.”
“Take a step towards financial freedom – claim your free Webull shares now!”
Subsequently, an explosion has ensued, and the encampment has nearly trebled in size compared to its previous size.
He added, “I wish our administration had perhaps collaborated with them a bit more in order to comprehend their demands.” Furthermore, I am sympathetic to the sentiments of my Jewish acquaintances who experience unease on campus; thus, I recognize the need to find an equilibrium that respects both free speech and those who are intimidated.
Several protest leaders informed the media that they had engaged in discussions and negotiations with school officials but declined to provide additional information.
Several have already declared triumph amidst the ongoing protests.
Basil remarked, “The tides have changed direction.” “The pressure has reached an unprecedented level, to the point where students are willing to risk their personal lives, careers, and physical well-being in support of Palestinians and humanity at large.”
We are fully mobilized to proceed.
