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2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupations

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As an act of protest , occupation is a strategy often used by social movements and other forms of collective social action in order to squat and hold public and symbolic spaces, buildings, critical infrastructure such as entrances to train stations, shopping centers, university buildings, squares, and parks. Opposed to a military occupation which attempts to subdue a conquered country, a protest occupation is a means to resist the status quo and advocate a change in public policy . Occupation attempts to use space as an instrument in order to achieve political and economic change, and to construct counter-spaces in which protesters express their desire to participate in the production and re-imagination of urban space. Often, this is connected to the right to the city , which is the right to inhabit and be in the city as well as to redefine the city in ways that challenge the demands of capitalist accumulation. That is to make public spaces more valuable to the citizens in contrast to favoring the interests of corporate and financial capital.

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69-407: [REDACTED] Pro-Palestinian groups: Gaza Solidarity Encampment: Supporting groups: Local and school authorities: [REDACTED] Pro-Israel counterprotesters: No centralized leadership A series of occupation protests by pro-Palestinian students occurred at Columbia University in New York City from April to June 2024, in the context of the broader Israel–Hamas war protests in

138-681: A Wanted Poster with Holloway's picture on it, were posted nearby. On the first day of the Fall semester, a protest organized by CUAD took place outside the school entrance on 116th Street and Broadway. On campus, someone dumped a can of red paint on the Alma Mater statue. In fall 2024, activist groups including CUAD had begun to use rhetoric in support of Hamas and the October 7 attacks. The New York Times reported that some students who were sympathetic to Palestinians had less desire to protest as

207-464: A United for Israel counter-march, organized by StandWithUs and some right-wing organizations, was held around Columbia and stopped at the gates. Some marchers harassed pro-Palestinian counter-protesters and targeted some counter-protesters inside the gates. U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman visited the encampment. Columbia library workers issued a statement condemning Shafik for deploying police and private security against

276-463: A banner purporting to rename the building "Hind's Hall" in honor of Hind Rajab , a young Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces. As a result, the campus was locked down and higher police presence was noted near campus; the NYPD and the university said they would not send police in. The administration threatened to expel students who participated in the hall takeover. "Professional agitator" Lisa Fithian

345-524: A different standard "through its policies, statements and other administrative actions". The lawsuit says that Columbia did not respond to the doxxing of pro-Palestinian students in October 2023, that it mishandled an incident where two pro-Israel students sprayed pro-Palestinian students with skunk spray in January 2024, and that it delayed an investigation into the conduct of professor Shai Davidai, who had over 50 harassment complaints against him. Columbia

414-470: A fatal altercation during duel pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests, Yair Lapid criticized the slogan and argued the protests were inherently hateful of Jewish peoples. Others argue that calls for intifada are not inherently violent, arguing that the term "Intifada" does not translate into genocide, can be more correctly translated into "uprising". According to the Forward , though many Jews consider

483-408: A leader of the protest movement, was barred from campus after a video from January surfaced in which they said, "Zionists don’t deserve to live". Some protest groups condemned the comment, although one protest group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, retracted its condemnation in October 2024 and apologized to James, calling for violence against supporters of Israeli policy. The New York Times said

552-692: A longer time period in more cities. This gained them worldwide attention. [REDACTED] Media related to Occupations (protests) at Wikimedia Commons Globalize the Intifada Globalize the Intifada is a slogan that has been used for advocating for global activism in support of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation. The term intifada being derived from the Arabic word nafada meaning to "shake off", refers to Palestinian uprisings or resistance against Israeli control, and

621-607: A means of achieving change, emerged from worker struggles that sought everything from higher wages to the abolition of capitalism. Often called a sit-down strike , it is a form of civil disobedience in which an organized group of workers, usually employed at a factory or other centralized location, take possession of the workplace by "sitting down" at their stations, effectively preventing their employers from replacing them with strikebreakers or, in some cases, moving production to other locations. The recovered factories in Argentina

690-408: A private investigation firm to investigate the event and suspended four students for hosting it. At the entrance to the encampment on Columbia's east lawn was posted "Gaza Solidarity Encampment Community Guidelines". Some of these guidelines were to not take pictures of people without their permission, not to use drugs or alcohol in the encampment, and not to engage with counter-protesters. Speaking to

759-587: A pro-Israel man argued with some of the protesters before driving into the protest. The driver and a struck protester were both arrested and treated at the hospital for minor injuries. On May 16, faculty, students and religious leaders held a "People's Graduation" ceremony at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for students who were punished for participating in the encampment. Palestinian-American poet Fady Joudah and Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary spoke at

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828-663: A protest outside the university. The New York City Police Department announced that it would investigate the event as a potential hate crime. SJP and JVP published a report stating that the perpetrators were former IDF soldiers and current Columbia students. In April, one of the perpetrators, who had been suspended the previous month, sued the university under the pseudonym John Doe , claiming that he had actually sprayed non-toxic " gag gift " fart sprays he had purchased from Amazon , adding that pro-Palestine students doxxed him in retaliation. In March 2024, students held an unauthorized "Resistance 101" event. University administration hired

897-521: A referendum on divestment from Israel, originally proposed by CUAD on March 3, 2024, had passed by a large margin, showing that Columbia's student body mostly supported the initiative. In the evening, the students celebrated a Seder on the first evening of Passover . On April 23, A student organizer said that protesters were in negotiations with the university through a legal negotiator but declined to share details. Ben Chang , Columbia's spokesperson, said that organizers had met with university officials in

966-706: A result of harsher rules and punishment from the administration. Demonstrations initially spread in the United States on April 22, when students at several universities on the East Coast —including New York University , Yale University , Emerson College , the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Tufts University —began occupying campuses, as well as experiencing mass arrests in New York and at Yale. Protests emerged throughout

1035-475: A result of the protests. Criticism increased when a January 2024 recording of one organizer, Khymani James, saying "Zionists don't deserve to live" was released. One Jewish student who wore a Star of David chain said she was confronted by a masked pro-Palestinian demonstrator on campus, who demanded to know if she was a Zionist. James apologized when the remarks were publicized in April 2024. James said on X: "I affirm

1104-596: A scheduling conflict. The next day, the Shafik-authorized New York City Police Department Strategic Response Group entered the encampment to arrest protesters as Columbia University employees cleared the tents. CUAD (Columbia University Apartheid Divest) said the university had dumped students' confiscated belongings in a nearby alley. Three students were suspended, including Isra Hirsi , the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar . After

1173-522: A shot was fired inside the building. The district attorney's office said no one was injured and their Police Accountability Unit was reviewing the incident. By the end of the night, Hamilton Hall and the entire campus were cleared, including the encampment. According to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg , 109 people were arrested at Columbia. In the letter to the deputy commissioner, Shafik requested an NYPD presence through at least May 17, two days after

1242-618: A sign reading " Al-Qassam 's next targets" in front of student counter-protesters holding Israeli flags. On April 20, protesters both on and off campus were recorded targeting Jewish students with antisemitic vitriol, resulting in condemnation from both the White House and the New York Mayor's office. A chapter of the international Orthodox Jewish movement present at the campus hired guards to escort Jewish students home from Chabad . According to The Times Of Israel , protesters at

1311-473: A skewed narrative by characterizing the protest as antisemitic and hateful. Some protesters have alleged that agitators and non-students were responsible for antisemitic incidents. Susan Bernofsky , a Columbia professor, said: "I do not feel that this project is antisemitic in any way. I do feel that the students are highly critical of Israeli politics. And I do not feel threatened as a Jewish faculty member in any way by what's happening on this campus – except by

1380-539: Is an example of workplace occupations moving beyond addressing workplace grievances, to demanding a change in ownership of the means of production. Another example was when workers in Sydney, Australia occupied and ran the Harco Steel Factory in 1971 for four weeks after the owner laid off employees. With the workplace under their control they introduced the 35 hour working week. The Industrial Workers of

1449-412: Is defined by an extended temporality and is usually located in specific places. In many cases local governments declare occupations illegal because protesters seek to control space over a prolonged time. As such, occupations are often in conflict with political authorities and forces of established order, especially the police. These confrontations in particular attract media attention. Occupation, as

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1518-616: Is only one solution, intifada revolution" or "Intifada until victory". It has been used against the Israeli actions during the 2023 Hamas–Israel war . Some opinion writers argue protesters using the slogan were supporters of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel . According to users of the slogan, the Palestinian intifada was chosen as a rallying cry for resistance against what they see as "colonial violence and oppression". In October 2023, pro-Palestinian protestors chanted "globalize

1587-470: Is quick to condemn speech it deems hateful or offensive to non-Palestinians, but when Palestinian students are the targets of anti-Palestinian hate or violence, the university stalls or fails to condemn the actions. When it does make a statement, Columbia fails to note that Palestinian students were the victims, unlike when non-Palestinians are harmed. Occupation protest Unlike other forms of protest like demonstrations , marches and rallies, occupation

1656-563: The Arab Spring and the Indignados movement of Spain, started a global movement in which the occupation of public spaces is a key tactic. During these protests in 2011, the tactic of occupation was used in a new way as protesters wanted to remain indefinitely until they were heard, resisting police and government officials who wanted to evict them. In contrast to earlier protest encampments these occupations mobilized more people during

1725-739: The Israel–Hamas war . Local group Within Our Lifetime (WOL) organized protests around the campus perimeter in support of the encampment, clashing with the NYPD . Other groups protesting outside campus included Neturei Karta , a Jewish anti-Zionist sect, Uptown for Palestine, and a coalition composed of Palestinian Youth Movement , The People's Forum , ANSWER Coalition , and the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation-Awda. Groups of pro-Israel counterprotesters were also present outside

1794-546: The Israel–Hamas war . Pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia have said that their movement is anti-Zionist , and protests at Columbia have been organized by anti-Zionist groups. On October 12, 2023, the university closed its campus after opposing demonstrations collided. In November 2023, the administration suspended Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace after they held an unauthorized student walkout, furthering conflicts between faculty and administration;

1863-522: The University of Pennsylvania , and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). On April 30, approximately 300 protesters were arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York ; and pro-Israel counter-protesters attacked the UCLA campus occupation , The following day over 200 arrests were made at UCLA. Multiple sources have quoted some Jewish students as feeling unsafe or targeted as

1932-481: The Columbia protesters. Norman Finkelstein , an anti-Zionist political scientist and activist, appeared and gave a speech to protesters. A Muslim jummah prayer service and a Jewish Kabbalat Shabbat prayer service were held at the encampment in the afternoon and evening, respectively. On April 18, the university informed the student protesters who had been arrested that they were indefinitely suspended. During

2001-474: The Israeli government, including Lockheed Martin , Microsoft , Google , and Amazon . The campus occupation was organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a student-led coalition of over 120 groups; Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP); and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). These groups have participated in New York City's pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the October 2023 start of

2070-553: The Met Police. During a December 2023 congressional hearing with presidents of major universities, Elise Stefanik argued the use of the term was a call for genocide of Jewish people. Both the Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee interpret the slogan as endorsing acts of terrorism and indiscriminate violence against Israelis and Jews worldwide. According to The Sunday Telegraph ,

2139-501: The NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters requesting police intervention, someone hid in the building until it closed, then let others in. Columbia believed that while students were among those who entered, their leaders were unaffiliated with the university. Police used flash-bang grenades to breach the building and arrested more than 100 protesters. Officers were seen entering the building with weapons drawn, and

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2208-714: The NYPD appeared, a group of pro-Israel counter-protesters congregated to celebrate the university's response, waving American and Israeli flags. A protest on 114th Street and Amsterdam Avenue formed, but dispersed to allow buses with detained protesters to exit. Despite the dismantlement of the encampment, protesters soon moved to an adjacent lawn on campus, the West Lawn of the Butler Lawns, where they hoisted their banners and pitched several tents. Public intellectual and independent presidential candidate Cornel West appeared to show solidarity. A group protested outside

2277-544: The NYPD dispersed about 100 protesters outside campus. In the afternoon of April 24, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson gave a speech in front of Low Library condemning the protesters and calling for Shafik to resign. Some in attendance loudly booed him. During his speech, Johnson said that during the October 7 attack, " infants were cooked in ovens ", an unsubstantiated claim. Later, he called on President Joe Biden to deploy

2346-507: The National Guard to quell the protests; White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied that such deployment is up to the state governor , not the president. The next day, Palestine Legal filed a Title VI suit with regard to suspended students. The Columbia Board of Trustees issued statements in affirmation of Shafik. The Columbia student senate held an emergency meeting with Shafik to consider censuring her. On April 26,

2415-698: The October 7 attacks and saying, "The Palestinian resistance is moving their struggle to a new phase of escalation and it is our duty to meet them there." Pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters have rejected assertions that the protest is antisemitic and unsafe for Jewish students, and the Columbia Daily Spectator reported that pro-Israeli counter-protesters have called pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters "fake Jews" or " kapos ". Many Jewish students, while denouncing antisemitism, felt solidarity with pro-Palestinian protesters. Progressive and student opinion writers have argued that national media may be pushing

2484-511: The South Lawn during the university's alumni reunion. According to Columbia SJP, the protesters identify as "an autonomous group of Palestinian students". The encampment was dismantled on June 2, once the alumni weekend ended. The NYPD briefly entered the campus to document vandalism that took place. Columbia Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway's apartment building was vandalized with red paint and crickets at 3 a.m. Several flyers, including

2553-626: The U.S. in the following days, with protest camps established on over 40 campuses. On April 25, mass arrests occurred at Emerson College, the University of Southern California , and the University of Texas at Austin . A continued crackdown on April 27 led to approximately 275 arrests at Washington , Northeastern , Arizona State , and Indiana University Bloomington . Several professors were among those detained at Emory University , and at Washington University in St. Louis , university employees were arrested. On April 28, counter-protests were held at MIT,

2622-572: The United States . The protests began on April 17, 2024, when pro-Palestinian students established an encampment of approximately 50 tents on the university campus, calling it the Gaza Solidarity Encampment , and demanded the university divest from Israel . The first encampment was dismantled when university president Minouche Shafik authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter

2691-976: The World were the first American union to use it, while the United Auto Workers staged successful sit-down strikes in the 1930s, most famously in the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936–1937. Sit-down strikes were declared illegal by the United States Supreme Court, but are still used by unions such as the UMWA in the Pittston strike , and the workers at the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago. The Occupy Wall Street movement, inspired amongst others by

2760-471: The arrest of many of our students." In reference to protesters, John McWhorter , a Columbia professor, said, "I find it very hard to imagine that they are antisemitic", adding that there is "a fine line between questioning Israel's right to exist and questioning Jewish people's right to exist" but that "some of the rhetoric amid the protests crosses it." Palestine Legal 's lawsuit against Columbia University alleges that Columbia held pro-Palestinian students to

2829-433: The call to "globalize" it suggests extending the spirit and actions of these uprisings beyond the regional context to a worldwide movement. The slogans and related chants have been a subject of controversy and discussion regarding their impact and implications. The slogan has been criticized by some Jewish groups as inciting political violence . Antiwar protesters in the United States during April 2002 held signs with

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2898-567: The camp. The arrests marked the first time Columbia allowed police to suppress campus protests since the 1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War . On May 31, a third campus encampment was briefly established in response to an alumni reunion. As a result of the protests, Columbia University switched to hybrid learning (incorporating more online learning) for the rest of the semester. The protests encouraged other actions at multiple universities. Several antisemitic incidents took place near

2967-425: The campus and its vicinity". On April 21, Elie Buechler, a rabbi associated with Columbia University's Orthodox Union Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, recommended that Jewish students "return home as soon as possible and remain home", arguing that the ongoing campus occupation had "made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety". Footage of protests over

3036-400: The campus on April 18 and conduct mass arrests. A new encampment was built the next day. The administration then entered into negotiations with protesters, which failed on April 29 and resulted in the suspension of student protesters. The next day, protesters broke into and occupied Hamilton Hall , leading to a second NYPD raid, the arrest of more than 100 protesters, and the full dismantling of

3105-425: The early morning to discuss the situation. Shafik issued a midnight deadline for protesters to either agree to vacate campus or face the university's consideration of "alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus". Jewish pro-Palestinian students held Passover Seder within the encampment. Shortly after midnight on April 24, SJP reported that protesters had suspended negotiations because

3174-501: The encampment before the deadline. Despite the threats, students stayed in the encampment and surrounding areas. Suspensions began later that day. Meanwhile, a Jewish student sued the university for failing to provide a safe environment, police set up barricades outside the university, and alumni wrote Shafik a letter asking her to clear the encampment. In the early morning of April 30, protesters occupied Hamilton Hall , breaking windows, and barricaded themselves inside. Protesters unfurled

3243-604: The encampment were filmed chanting "Zionists not allowed here", while another protester called for "10,000 October 7ths". One Jewish student reported protesters saying "kill all the Jews" and "we want one Arab state", describing the campus as a "hotbed for radical antisemitism". Protesters from outside the campus were filmed yelling "Go back to Poland". CUAD organizers put out a statement distancing themselves from "inflammatory individuals who do not represent us". CUAD's rhetoric has since changed; in October, it distributed literature praising

3312-553: The event. On May 31, students regrouped and launched a third encampment. About 100 students participated in the protest, which was said to be a response to the Rafah offensive and a Washington Post article revealing that elites pressured Adams into sending the NYPD in during the second raid. Students said the encampment was only the first of a continued protest presence on the campus, remaining for alumni reunion weekend. By 7 pm, about two dozen students with ten tents had occupied part of

3381-402: The intifada" near a library building where some Jewish students took refuge in what has been characterized by critics as an antisemitic incident. New York City Mayor Eric Adams responded to the incident, affirming that hate has no place in New York City and emphasizing the right to peaceful protest. The NYPD later released a statement that students were not barricaded within the library and that

3450-399: The phrase has been associated with incitement of violence against Jewish communities. Some Jewish writers including David Hazony have interpreted the use of the slogan not just as a challenge to Israel but as being a broader declaration of war against Jews, promoting antisemitism , and calling for violence instead of peace. Following the 2023 death of Jewish-American Paul Kessler after

3519-455: The press was allowed only between 2 and 4 pm. Other signs on the perimeter said "Demilitarize education" and " Globalize the Intifada ". Students created their own chants and passed out flyers that read "Do you feel safe sending your child to a school which gives up its students to the police?" There was a buffet-style meal service with abundant food. Student protesters called on Columbia to financially divest from any company with business ties to

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3588-459: The protest had been pre-planned. Pro-Palestinian protesters had planned a march throughout the entire college ahead of time, argued the library had students of multiple backgrounds, and the march itself had Jewish students. In November 2023, pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime , which supported the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, made a post headlined "Globalize the Intifada" with a map of Israeli and American companies and transit hubs. The post

3657-442: The protesters to leave, and said that bringing back the NYPD would be counterproductive. Negotiations between protesters and the university came to a "dead end" on April 29. The administration threatened to suspend students still in the encampment by 2 pm. It also offered a partial amnesty deal. CUAD voted to stay in the encampment after the deadline, and SJP told members not to sign any administration deals. Faculty linked arms around

3726-420: The protesters. More than 1,000 pro-Israel protesters organized by the "New York Hostage and Missing Families Forum" rallied at 116th and Broadway. The University Senate announced plans to call for a censure vote against Shafik but decided instead to vote on a resolution expressing displeasure with her out of fear of ousting the president in a time of crisis. Khymani James, a Columbia student who had emerged as

3795-504: The protests. Organizers have said they were the work of outside agitators and non-students. Pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters have said that incidents of antisemitism by protesters are not representative of the protest movement. On May 6, the school administration canceled the university-wide graduation ceremony scheduled for May 15. Shafik announced her resignation from the presidency on August 14. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students have staged demonstrations at Columbia University during

3864-413: The sanctity of all life and the movement for liberation." In April, he was barred from campus and suspended. In October, he retracted his apology. At Columbia, U.S. Representative Kathy Manning described seeing signs calling for the destruction of Israel . Freshman student Nicholas Baum described hearing protesters "calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel." Another protester was recorded holding

3933-414: The scheduled commencement . On May 2, the NYPD announced that during arrests at Columbia, out of 112 people arrested, 32 were not affiliated with the school. Mayor Eric Adams said there was evidence that two outside agitators and "professionals", Lisa Fithian and the wife of Sami Al-Arian , had given students tactical knowledge and training to escalate the protests. Despite claims that the police sweep

4002-574: The slogan in the wake of the Second Intifada and the Iraq war , as a form of racial justice and to protest US involvement in the region. The call to "globalize" the Intifada through protests and social media posts is seen by critics as an endorsement of past uprisings and a call for their expansion on a global scale. The slogan "Globalize the Intifada" has been used as a chant in various anti-Zionist protests, along with variations such as "There

4071-464: The student's comments raised the question, "How much of the movement in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza is tainted by antisemitism?" On April 27, the student suspended for their "Zionists don't deserve to live" comment apologized. The NYPD said that outside agitators were trying to hijack the protests, and that they were ready to raid the campus if needed. The next day, the administration called for

4140-501: The university and were generally much smaller, with the exception of an April 26 march outside campus organized by StandWithUs and right-wing Christian Zionists that drew hundreds of people. On April 17, beginning around 4 am, about 70 protesters sat in tents bearing the Palestinian flag on the East Butler Lawn. Protesters put up banners reading "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" and "Liberated Zone". A substantial NYPD presence

4209-557: The university claimed that one person at the event shouted anti-Semitic epithets. That same month, students walked out of a class taught by Hillary Clinton after she made remarks opposing a ceasefire. In January 2024, students at a pro-Palestinian demonstration on campus were sprayed with a chemical that they alleged to be Skunk , a foul-smelling spray usually used as crowd control by the Israel Defense Forces , causing various injuries. In response, demonstrators organized

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4278-633: The university had threatened to call in the New York Army National Guard to clear them out, saying they would not return to the negotiating table until Columbia rescinded its threat. But the university said that "important progress" had been made in negotiations and that Shafik's original deadline would be extended by 48 hours, that the students had agreed to reduce the number of tents, and that they would ensure that protesters not affiliated with Columbia would leave campus. Protesters were seen taking down and moving some tents. Meanwhile,

4347-613: The university's main entrance on 116th Street . Protesters on 116th Street and Broadway moved toward 120th Street after a man was taken into custody. All of the protesters the NYPD arrested were released by late evening. On April 19, protesters remained camped out on campus; SJP chapters at the University of North Carolina , Boston University , and Ohio State University , as well as the Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee at Harvard University , announced rallies in solidarity with

4416-454: The weekend of April 20–21, public safety officers from the administration told WKCR-FM , which had been broadcasting information about the protest, to vacate its office due to an unspecified danger. Staff refused, saying they had a responsibility to broadcast information 24/7. WKCR later said it was a misunderstanding. Protesters also targeted some Jewish students with "antisemitic vitriol", leaving some Jewish students "fearful for their safety on

4485-449: The weekend showed some protesters using antisemitic language against Jewish students, and many Jewish students said they felt unsafe. Hundreds of Columbia faculty members walked out of classes to protest the university's response to the protest. Because of the protest, the university canceled classes on April 22, and then said it would switch to blended learning for the remainder of the semester. The Columbia Elections Board announced that

4554-578: Was condemned by elected officials in New York City and by Jewish groups as "a dangerous and abhorrent incitement to violence and poses a direct threat to New York's Jewish communities." In December 2023, the use of banners utilizing the slogan led to the arrest of nine in London under the Public Order Act . In May 2024, a similar slogan, "Intifada, Revolution!", was used by pro-Palestinian protesters in central London, prompting an investigation by

4623-436: Was done to ensure a main graduation commencement, especially as the class of 2024 had its high school commencement canceled due to COVID , the university decided on May 6 to cancel the main commencement, though the various colleges and schools of the university planned to hold separate commencements. Small pro-Palestinian protests were held outside the homes of some Columbia University trustees on May 7. During one such protest,

4692-651: Was noted outside the university as soon as the encampment was established. Activity in the encampment included a teach-in and film screening . That morning, at about 10 am, Columbia University president Minouche Shafik testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce , an event that had been planned weeks before. She had previously been invited to attend the November 2023 United States Congress hearing on antisemitism but had declined, citing

4761-536: Was spotted aiding protesters breaking into Hamilton Hall. Late in the evening, a heavy riot police presence was seen outside the campus. The administration told students to shelter in place due to "heightened activity". The NYPD prepared to raid the campus after a letter from Shafik gave it permission. Protesters appeared undeterred, continuing chants. At around 9 pm, the NYPD entered campus with administration approval. The administration blamed protesters for escalating by taking Hamilton Hall. According to Shafik's letter to

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