NEW YORK: Dozens of protesters took over a building at Columbia University in New York early Tuesday, barricading entrances and unfurling a Palestinian flag from a window in the latest escalation of demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses across the US. The school promised they would face expulsion.
The occupation at Columbia — where protesters shrugged off an ultimatum to abandon a tent encampment Monday or be suspended — unfolded as other universities stepped up efforts to clear out encampments.Police swept through some campuses, spurring confrontations with protesters and plenty of arrests. In rarer instances, university officials and protest leaders have struck agreements to restrict the disruption to campus life.
Protesters on Columbia’s campus locked arms in front of Hamilton Hall early Tuesday and carried furniture and metal barricades to the building, video footage showed. Posts on an Instagram page for protest organisers shortly after midnight urged people to protect the encampment and join them. A “Free Palestine” banner hung from a window. Hamilton Hall is an academic building that opened in 1907 and is named after Alexander Hamilton, who attended King’s College, Columbia’s original name.
The takeover occurred nearly 12 hours after Monday’s 2pm EST deadline for the protesters to leave an encampment of around 120 tents or face suspension. On Tuesday, Columbia spokesperson Ben Chang said, “Students occupying the building face expulsion.” He said those who didn’t agree to the terms from Monday were being suspended. “Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation — vandalising property”. Columbia administrators closed the Manhattan campus Tuesday to everyone but students who live in dorms there and employees who provide essential services. There was just one access point into and out of campus.
New York police department chief Jeffrey Maddrey, speaking at a news conference, said police won’t enter Columbia’s campus without a request from the college administration or an imminent emergency. Protesters insisted they will remain at the hall until the university agrees to three demands: divestment, financial transparency and amnesty.
At many campuses, including Columbia, the conflict over protests appeared to be coming to a head. The standoffs have drawn concern from the White House. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Prez Biden believes students occupying an academic building is “absolutely the wrong approach,” and “not an example of peaceful protest”.
Police had begun arresting demonstrators at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where they had occupied a building for more than a week. At Portland State University in Oregon, students have taken over a library. Yale authorities cleared a protesters’ encampment after students heeded final warnings. Demonstrators said they were moving their gathering to a sidewalk area. The encampment was set up Sunday, six days after police arrested 44 students.
Dozens of people were arrested Monday during protests at universities in Texas, Utah, Virginia and New Jersey. At the University of Texas, 79 involved in the Monday protest were jailed. In a rare case, Northwestern University reached a deal with student protesters on its campus near Chicago. It allows peaceful protests through the end of spring classes in exchange for some concessions.
The occupation at Columbia — where protesters shrugged off an ultimatum to abandon a tent encampment Monday or be suspended — unfolded as other universities stepped up efforts to clear out encampments.Police swept through some campuses, spurring confrontations with protesters and plenty of arrests. In rarer instances, university officials and protest leaders have struck agreements to restrict the disruption to campus life.
Protesters on Columbia’s campus locked arms in front of Hamilton Hall early Tuesday and carried furniture and metal barricades to the building, video footage showed. Posts on an Instagram page for protest organisers shortly after midnight urged people to protect the encampment and join them. A “Free Palestine” banner hung from a window. Hamilton Hall is an academic building that opened in 1907 and is named after Alexander Hamilton, who attended King’s College, Columbia’s original name.
The takeover occurred nearly 12 hours after Monday’s 2pm EST deadline for the protesters to leave an encampment of around 120 tents or face suspension. On Tuesday, Columbia spokesperson Ben Chang said, “Students occupying the building face expulsion.” He said those who didn’t agree to the terms from Monday were being suspended. “Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation — vandalising property”. Columbia administrators closed the Manhattan campus Tuesday to everyone but students who live in dorms there and employees who provide essential services. There was just one access point into and out of campus.
New York police department chief Jeffrey Maddrey, speaking at a news conference, said police won’t enter Columbia’s campus without a request from the college administration or an imminent emergency. Protesters insisted they will remain at the hall until the university agrees to three demands: divestment, financial transparency and amnesty.
At many campuses, including Columbia, the conflict over protests appeared to be coming to a head. The standoffs have drawn concern from the White House. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Prez Biden believes students occupying an academic building is “absolutely the wrong approach,” and “not an example of peaceful protest”.
Police had begun arresting demonstrators at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where they had occupied a building for more than a week. At Portland State University in Oregon, students have taken over a library. Yale authorities cleared a protesters’ encampment after students heeded final warnings. Demonstrators said they were moving their gathering to a sidewalk area. The encampment was set up Sunday, six days after police arrested 44 students.
Dozens of people were arrested Monday during protests at universities in Texas, Utah, Virginia and New Jersey. At the University of Texas, 79 involved in the Monday protest were jailed. In a rare case, Northwestern University reached a deal with student protesters on its campus near Chicago. It allows peaceful protests through the end of spring classes in exchange for some concessions.