“If they continue like this, there will be clear consequences.” With these words, Columbia spokesman Ben Chang threatened those students who occupied buildings with expulsion on Tuesday. They had “chosen to escalate” and, among other things, broke doors and windows and blocked entrances, he said.
The demonstrators were “given the opportunity” to leave the building peacefully, but they refused. On Tuesday morning, several masked people broke windows at the renowned university and blocked doors with metal tables. The university administration had previously started suspending individual students.
“Threatening environment” for many of the Jewish students
University spokesman Chang said the disruptions on campus had created a “threatening environment” for many of the Jewish students and staff and hindered teaching and studying for final exams.
The university management had been negotiating with the demonstrators since Wednesday. A central issue was the protesters’ demand that Columbia University divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Arrests during protests
However, on Monday, university president Minouche Shafik made it clear that the university had no intention of “withdrawing investments from Israel.” In mid-April, the university called the police to campus to take action against the protests. More than a hundred people were arrested.
Protests in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against Israel’s war against the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas then spread to other universities across the country. More than 350 protest participants were arrested across the country over the weekend.