Répondre à la question ou instruction : Rewrite an article provided by the user, which covers protests at Columbia University over Gaza war, while addressing how colleges across the country are responding to similar student demonstrations with urgency as finals week and graduation ceremonies approach. Additionally, touch on legal complaints being made against the university related to ensuring safety for Jewish students affected by the campus-wide occupation protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza.
At Columbia University, protesters calling for divestment from companies linked with Israel’s operations in Gaza have defied a deadline issued by administrators and refused to dismantle their encampments on school grounds despite an ultimatum given earlier this week. The university warned students that they would face suspension if they did not leave the campuses, but protesters remained undeterred as they continued chants and demonstrations at around 120 tents set up in a quad area of campus.
The move by Columbia is part of an escalating trend across colleges nationwide where administrators are imploring students to abandon occupations as graduation approaches and exams get underway with urgency, adding that protests could resume after these academic events conclude for the semester. The University of Southern California canceled its main commencement ceremony due to ongoing demonstrations by protesters who have been demanding divestment from Israeli businesses or their equivalent financial instruments within academic circles deemed culpable in contributing funds toward Israel’s operations against Palestine and Gaza.
Similar student protests were observed at universities like Yale, where police arrested nearly 50 students last week for refusing to leave a campground set up nearby. In response, administrators have threatened disciplinary action that could lead to suspension or expulsion from the university if protesters continue their demonstrations on campus grounds. At Brown University in Rhode Island, school President Christina H. Paxton offered protest leaders an opportunity to engage in a discussion over divestment strategies at length during the next few days while insisting that encampments be dismantled before graduation ceremonies commence this week.
The protests have led Columbia University administrators to hold remote classes, with officials warning students about potential police action if they fail to adhere to campus policies and safety protocols designed for academic purposes only during exam periods or other critical events on the school calendar. Students facing expulsion have cited federal lawsuits over issues such as preserving a safe learning environment while respecting religious freedoms, which could impact their future career prospects by potentially creating legal records that follow them throughout adulthood due to suspension or arrests during protests.
Legal action being pursued in these matters include claims against the university’s alleged failure to maintain safety for Jewish students affected by campus-wide occupations protesting Israel’s actions, with one lawsuit seeking court intervention requiring Columbia administrators to provide security measures aimed at ensuring student wellbeing amidst ongoing protests. A legal group representing pro-Palestinian students has also petitioned the U.S Department of Education’s civil rights office for an investigation into how Columbia is responding in terms of adhering with relevant laws, including those related to protecting religious freedoms and safety protocols during campus occupations or other demonstration events that could potentially impact student academic performance or future career prospects due to legal records created as a result.
As the protests continue across campuses nationwide, students have vowed to remain steadfast in their actions while also expressing concern about potential police intervention and disciplinary action from university administrators who are increasingly taking a hardline stance against campus occupations during finals week or other critical events on school calendars.
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