Columbia University Pro-Palestinian Rally Leads to Dozens of Arrests by Police: The Latest Stir in Campus Activism,2024

Summary

Police Action and Arrests:

• New York City police arrested numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University’s campus, clearing out a protest encampment that had persisted for nearly two weeks.
• Within three hours, the campus was emptied of protesters, with dozens arrested.
• Police intervention involved a large contingent of officers entering Hamilton Hall, where protesters had occupied the building.

Protest Demands and University Response:

• Protesters demanded divestment from companies supporting Israel’s government, transparency in university finances, and amnesty for disciplined students and faculty.
• Columbia University President Minouche Shafik addressed these demands, stating the university would not divest from Israeli finances but would invest in health and education in Gaza.
• Shafik highlighted vandalism and trespassing by occupiers of Hamilton Hall, warning of disciplinary actions including suspension and expulsion for protesters.

Occupy Movement and Campus Response:

• The occupation began with protesters storming Hamilton Hall, renaming it “Hind’s Hall” in memory of a child killed in Gaza.
• Mayor Eric Adams and police officials attributed the occupation to “outside agitators,” citing escalating tactics and vandalism.
• The university expressed concern about disruptions on campus, including a threatening atmosphere for Jewish students and faculty.

Protest at Columbia University and Police Intervention

New York City police took action on Tuesday night, arresting numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had been occupying a building on Columbia University’s campus. The university had been attempting to remove the protest encampment for nearly two weeks.

Following the police intervention, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik issued a letter requesting continued police presence on campus until May 17, a couple of days after graduation. Shafik emphasized the need for order and prevention of any further encampments.

Within three hours, the campus was emptied of protesters, according to a police spokesperson, who stated that “dozens” of arrests were made.

Around 9 p.m. ET, a large contingent of helmeted police officers moved onto the prestigious campus in upper Manhattan. Columbia University has been a central location for student rallies opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza, a sentiment that has spread to numerous schools across the United States in recent days.

“We’re clearing it out!” shouted the police officers as they swiftly took action.

Shortly thereafter, a procession of officers entered Hamilton Hall, the academic building that protesters had forcibly entered and occupied earlier that Tuesday. Utilizing a police vehicle with a ladder, officers accessed the building through a second-story window.

Outside the hall, students expressed their disapproval of the police presence with cries of “Shame, shame!”

Witnesses observed police loading numerous detainees onto a bus, each with their hands restrained behind their backs with zip-ties. The scene was illuminated by the flashing red and blue lights of police vehicles.

“Free, free, free Palestine,” echoed the chants of protesters outside the building, while others demanded, “Let the students go.”

Sueda Polat, a student negotiator for Columbia University Apartheid Divest, expressed confidence in the protesting students’ actions, stating, “Columbia will be proud of these students in five years.” Polat emphasized that the students were not a threat and urged the police to withdraw, even as officers instructed her and others to disperse or vacate the campus.

PROTEST DEMANDS Columbia University

The protesters at Columbia had three key demands: divestment from companies supporting Israel’s government, increased transparency in university finances, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined due to their involvement in the protests.

President Shafik addressed these demands this week, stating that Columbia would not divest from Israeli finances. Instead, she proposed investments in health and education in Gaza, along with making the university’s direct investment holdings more transparent.

In her letter released on Tuesday, Shafik highlighted that the occupiers of Hamilton Hall had vandalized university property and were trespassing. She also noted that encampment protesters faced suspension for trespassing. The university had previously warned that students participating in the occupation of Hamilton Hall risked academic expulsion.

The occupation unfolded overnight as protesters shattered windows, stormed inside, and unveiled a banner proclaiming “Hind’s Hall,” in honor of a 6-year-old Palestinian child killed in Gaza by the Israeli military.

Hamilton Hall, an eight-story neo-classical building, has been a historical site for student occupations dating back to the 1960s.

Prior to police intervention, Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials, in an evening news briefing, attributed the Hamilton Hall takeover to “outside agitators” unaffiliated with Columbia, known to law enforcement for inciting disorder. Police cited escalating tactics within the occupation, including vandalism, barricading entrances, and disabling security cameras, as evidence.

However, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian scholar at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and one of the protest leaders, contested the claim that outsiders instigated the occupation.

Before police intervention, the university released a statement expressing concerns about disruptions on campus, citing a threatening atmosphere for many Jewish students and faculty, as well as distractions from teaching and exam preparation.