Columbia University Students Occupy Academic Building in Anti-Israel Protest, Demand Divestment and Amnesty

Columbia University protesters staged an escalation in their anti-Israel campaign by occupying Hamilton Hall, an academic building used by senior officials. The takeover occurred early on Tuesday morning and saw demonstrators move metal gates to block entrances with tables and chairs while zip tying doors shut. Around 300 students participated in the protest which also involved smashing windows, unfurling a Palestinian flag over one window and chanting slogans such as “Palestine will be free” and “From the river to the sea”. The group demanded that Columbia University divests its financial support of Israel, becomes more transparent with investments and provides blanket amnesty for students involved in the disruption. Monday’s deadline from university officials had given protestors until 2pm local time (18:00 GMT) on Monday to vacate their encampment or face suspension; three facilities workers were inside Hamilton Hall when it was occupied, and they left around an hour later with one claiming he felt ‘held hostage’. Members of the mob also allegedly covered cameras in the building. The occupation followed a similar protest two weeks earlier where more than 100 students were arrested by police called at the university president’s request. Discussing these anti-Israel protests, medical expert and panelist Dr Sheila Nazarian stated that it was “heartbreaking” to see how many college campuses have become hostile environments for Jewish students because of this issue. Fellow panellist Shahar Azani argued: “These kids don’t even know what they’re protesting.”