Pro-Palestinian Protestors at Columbia University Defy Ultimatum amidst Campus Unrest

Protesters at Columbia University defied an ultimatum from the university to dismantle their camp by 2pm on Monday, instead continuing with chants and drumming in a quad area of campus where around 120 tents have been erected. The pro-Palestinian protestors have been occupying the site for several days as part of ongoing demonstrations against Israel’s conflict with Gaza which are spreading to colleges across the US, even though final examinations and graduation ceremonies loom. Columbia President Minouche Shafik said that while free speech rights were respected by students, the encampment was a “noisy distraction” interfering with teaching and preparation for finals, as well as making some Jewish students deeply uncomfortable. The university has begun suspending protesters but did not call police to remove them from campus. Protest organisers said they had no knowledge of any suspensions at the time this article was written.
College classes are coming towards an end and graduation ceremonies are approaching, giving universities added incentive to clear encampments as protests continue across campuses in America including Harvard, Yale, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and others. Northwestern University has reached a deal with students and faculty who represent the majority of protesters on its campus near Chicago allowing peaceful demonstrations until 1 June when spring classes end but requiring removal of all tents except one for aid while restricting protest areas to prevent disturbance caused by other individuals. At Brown University in Rhode Island, President Christina H. Paxton offered protest leaders the chance to meet with officials to discuss their arguments for divestment from Israel-linked companies if they ended encampments on campus as tensions heightened nationwide during clashes that have already seen more than 900 people arrested in total since demonstrations began earlier this month.
The plight of students who were detained has become a major concern at universities across America with protests becoming increasingly contentious and lawmakers intervening to demand amnesty for protesters, arguing that suspensions could impact their futures due to the potential for legal records following them into adulthood as faculty also come out in support. In an unusual move, Columbia has halted face-to-face classes but stated it would offer alternative protest locations after graduation ceremonies take place on campus this week. The university’s handling of protests is now being challenged through federal complaints with a class action lawsuit claiming that Jewish students have been denied the right to learn in safety due to policies and promises failing to be upheld, as well as allegations over potential breaches by Columbia of contractual agreements which require provision for student welfare.