Columbia University Anti-Israel Protests Continue Despite Deadlines and Safety Concerns

Rewritten article: Fox News correspondent CB Cotton shares updates on ongoing protests against Israel at Columbia University, as university officials continue negotiations with demonstrators who set up camp in the heart of campus despite crossing a deadline for them to do so. The university gave an update late Thursday evening saying there has been progress in discussions following the announcement earlier this week that protestors must vacate and take down their tents by midnight on Tuesday. That initial deadline passed, as did another 48-hour extension granted hours later. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik recently announced a shift to online learning for Monday due to campus unrest and concerns over Jewish student safety. Over the past few days, faculty, administrators, and university senators have been in dialogue with students organizers regarding dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following university policies going forward. More than 100 people were arrested at Columbia University earlier this week for trespassing during protests. Other universities across the country such as USC, Princeton, UT-Austin, Yale, and the University of Michigan have also witnessed similar demonstrations with hundreds being taken into custody due to related violations. Anti-Israel encampments remain despite university officials calling for their dismantlement at Columbia University in New York where there has been reported antisemitism and violence stemming from protest activity according to a correspondent for Fox News reporting on the situation, who further described that students are praising militant Al-Quds Brigades – an extremist Palestinian terrorist organization associated with Hamas responsible for acts such as bus bombings, sexual assault of women, and placing babies in ovens. This level of protest activity has left many Jewish and Israeli individuals feeling unsafe on campus after dark according to the same correspondent’s report.