Students defied Columbia University’s order to withdraw from pro-Palestinian protests by 2 p.m. Monday, despite threats of suspension and the school’s president saying it would not withdraw from Israel. The demands sparked protests on college campuses across the United States.
“We began suspending students” around 5 p.m., about three hours after the deadline passed, said Ben Chan, Columbia University’s vice provost for communications and public affairs.
The university told the student demonstrators to leave by 2 p.m. or they would be “suspended pending further investigation” and barred from completing the spring semester.
The camp is now in its second week, but participants almost unanimously supported staying in place.
Around 2:45 p.m., after the 2 p.m. eviction warning time had passed, protesters were seen marching on the quad, chanting “Expose!” Dive best! We don’t slow down and we don’t rest! ”
A portion of the encampment has been cleared to make room for the graduating students’ graduation ceremony, and most of the picketers are clustered around the encampment.
David Lederer, 22, a sophomore at Columbia University, walked up to the picket line and began waving a large Israeli flag.
Columbia University sophomore David Lederer waves an Israeli flag on campus Monday.Doha Madani/NBC News
“I came here to show that we’re here to stay and we’re not going anywhere,” Lederer said.
President Minush Shafik said in a statement that the demonstrations had created an “unwelcoming environment for many Jewish students and faculty” and that “outsider actors” had created a “hostile environment” around the university’s gates. He called on the demonstrators to disperse voluntarily. It was said to have become a “noisy distraction” for students.
“Nor do we want to deprive thousands of students, their families and friends of the opportunity to celebrate,” Shafiq said, referring to the May 15 graduation ceremony.
Columbia University President Minoush Shafik testifies at the Capitol on April 17th. Jose Luis Magana/AP
Columbia University is the first university to be hit by protests in support of the Palestinian cause, with students saying the school supports weapons manufacturing and Israel in the backdrop of the Israeli-Hamas war that has killed more than 34,000 people. He asked them to withdraw from the investment. Gaza Strip.
Last week, protests quickly spread on campuses from coast to coast, resulting in mass arrests and crackdowns.
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Shafik said that while “the university will not divest from Israel,” the school’s Socially Responsible Investment Advisory Committee, which considers divestitures, will create an expedited timeline for reviewing new proposals from students. He said he suggested that.
“The university also proposed to publish a process for students to access the Columbia Direct Investment holdings list and to increase the frequency with which that holdings list is updated,” she added.
Protesters gather at the Columbia University encampment on Monday.Isa Farfan/NBC News
Although negotiations in Colombia were at a stalemate, there appeared to be some small movement in the negotiations.
Shafiq said the university offered to “invest in health and education in Gaza, including early childhood development support and support for displaced academics.”
“We urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse. We will continue to work with the broader community within the community to explore other options internally to end this crisis as soon as possible. “We are in discussions with the group and we will continue to add new developments to the community,” she said.
Recommendation
The notice, seen by NBC News, was issued to protesters Monday morning and required protesters to identify themselves to university officials and sign a form agreeing to an alternative resolution for violations of university policies brought by the campaign. I was asked to do so.
Those who sign are eligible to complete the semester in good standing and will not be suspended as long as they follow university policies.
If you do not leave the room by 2:00 p.m., you will be suspended from school.
“While we are disappointed to have to take these steps, we must restore order to our campus so that all students can complete their semester assignments, study for exams, and feel welcome in our community. ”, the notice says.
If the encampment is not cleared, the notice said: “Due to numerous violations of university policies, we must begin disciplinary proceedings. These are the policies we agreed to abide by when we joined the community.”
Columbia University protest camp on Monday.Isa Farfan/NBC News
The university said it would provide “alternative venues for demonstrations after the exam period and the start of classes have concluded.”
The superseding resolution states that the signatories consent to disciplinary probation, agree to abide by university policies, and agree to participate in university disciplinary procedures.
“These disgusting fear tactics pale in comparison to the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians,” Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), the coalition organizing protests at the camp, said in a statement Monday. “We will not move until Colombia meets our demands or we are impressed.” By force. “
The group criticized the university for violating school rules by “suspending, expelling, and in some cases threatening to expel students in large numbers” with just a few hours’ notice.
Columbia University faculty build a wall in front of an encampment on campus on Monday.Doha Madani/NBC News
The group also criticized paper notices issued by the university at the encampment, saying they were “reminiscent of the leaflets that the Israeli army aired against Gazans.”
“The university has acted with stubbornness and arrogance, refusing to be flexible on some of the most basic points,” student organizer Sueda Porat said at a rally by the coalition around 2 p.m. .
“We were negotiating in good faith until the government broke off the negotiations with the threat of suspension. When we asked for amnesty, they gave us more discipline,” Porat said. said.
Protest organizers also criticized Shafiq’s claim that the university had engaged in “constructive dialogue” with protesters and that Columbia refused to commit to the student divestment proposal being binding. He pointed out that Shafik’s provision of early childhood education programs to Palestinians was “nothing more than a bribe to the state.” student movement. ”
Phil Helsel contributed.
