Tensions reached a boiling point at Columbia University as pro-Palestinian demonstrators defiantly barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall, escalating a weeks-long standoff that has gripped the campus in turmoil.
The Ivy League institution resorted to drastic measures on Monday, suspending students en masse after a large contingent of protesters refused to heed a 2pm ultimatum to vacate encampments. Despite the deadline’s passing, hundreds of activists remained steadfast on campus, intensifying the standoff.
In a statement, Columbia President Nemat Minouche Shafik revealed that negotiations with the demonstrators had collapsed, with the university standing firm on its refusal to divest from Israel. The decision to allow the New York Police Department to intervene in last week’s protests, resulting in a wave of arrests, has drawn widespread condemnation and fueled solidarity demonstrations nationwide.
Elsewhere, scenes of chaos unfolded as heavily armored riot police descended on the University of Texas, employing aggressive tactics including zip ties, pepper spray, and stun grenades to quell the unrest.
Amidst the chaos, Northwestern University managed to broker a fragile truce, striking a deal with protesters to dismantle their encampment in exchange for concessions.
Renowned Columbia University anthropology professor Mahmood Mamdani condemned the administration’s heavy-handed approach, lambasting the campus’s transformation into what he termed “a crime scene.” Joined by fellow faculty members, Mamdani decried the suspension threats, asserting that penalizing students for exercising their right to protest only stifles dialogue and dissent.
“The administration’s crackdown has silenced legitimate discourse,” Mamdani declared in a passionate interview with CNN. “Instead of fostering an environment of open dialogue, they’ve turned a peaceful protest into a battleground.”
Students at Columbia University have occupied Hamilton hall. Today the university president explicitly said to students the school would not be divesting and threatened to suspend students protesting. The last time this building was taken over by student protesters was in 1968 pic.twitter.com/IhoWVYlocB
— Lama Al-Arian (@lalarian) April 30, 2024
