USA
Because of pro-Palestinian protests: Columbia University expels students
Students walk in front of the Columbia University library near the pro-Palestinian protest camp
© Carlos Chiossone/Zuma Press Wire / DPA
Columbia University in New York is now taking a different approach against pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Because they don’t clear the protest camp on campus, the first ones are suspended.
After unsuccessful negotiations between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and the renowned Columbia University in New York is now taking action against students. The process of suspending students has begun, a university representative said on Monday (local time). This is part of the next phase to ensure safety on campus. The demonstrators had previously missed a Monday afternoon deadline to clear their protest camp on campus.
University President Minouche Shafik announced on Monday that days of negotiations between the two sides had ended without any results. She appealed to the demonstrators to “voluntarily” vacate their camp – but the protesters did not comply with this for the time being. The deadline passed without any sign of the camp of 200 people disbanding.
A statement read by a student after the deadline spoke of fear-mongering. The protest participants would not leave until the university complied with their demands or they were forcibly removed.
Negotiations with protesters unsuccessful
The university management had been negotiating with the demonstrators since Wednesday. A central issue was the protesters’ demand that Columbia University divest from companies with ties to Israel.
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In her statement on Monday, Shafik made it clear that the university had no intention of “withdrawing investments from Israel.” However, in the discussions, the university management offered to increase transparency about the investments made by the university and to examine student suggestions for “socially responsible investing” more quickly.
“Unbearable” atmosphere at Columbia University
However, Shafik complained that many of the Jewish students had found the atmosphere at Columbia University in recent weeks “unbearable” and had therefore left the university. “Anti-Semitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent,” said the university president.
In mid-April, the university called the police to campus to take action against the protests. More than 100 people were arrested. The pro-Palestinian protests then spread to other colleges across the country.
Pro-Palestinian protest camps dismantled
Last weekend, police broke up protest camps at several US universities, sometimes using chemical irritants and Tasers. Around 275 protesters were arrested, including 100 at Northeastern University in Boston alone.
© AFP PHOTO / HAMAS MEDIA OFFICE
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The government of US President Joe Biden called on protesters to refrain from violence. “We obviously respect the right to peaceful protests,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on ABC News on Sunday. However, the government condemns anti-Semitic statements “as well as circulating hate speech and threats of violence.”
Protesters reject accusations of anti-Semitism
The organizers of the protests reject the accusation of anti-Semitism. They emphasize that the protests are directed against Israel’s warfare in the Gaza Strip.
The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the major attack on Israel on October 7th by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas. According to Israeli information, 1,170 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Since then, Israel has taken massive military action in the Palestinian territory. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 34,480 people have been killed so far.