Approximately 200 anti-Israel protesters continued demonstrations at Columbia University. One student was taken away on a stretcher by Columbia University’s EMS, although it was not clear what her condition was. Some protesters tried to block her from sight using umbrellas and tarpaulin. Following the arrest of over 100 students when the NYPD raided the tent encampment at the university, roughly 200 demonstrators were still chanting, holding signs, and waving Palestinian flags. At least three people were arrested on Saturday for disorderly conduct and for using a sound reproduction device.
The protesters at Columbia University are demanding that the university divest from Israel. They want Columbia to sever academic ties with Israeli universities and to stop censoring and intimidating students advocating for Palestinian liberation. Protests and chants include lines like “we want justice, stop arming Israel now.” A line of police officers in riot helmets observed the protests, while a handful of Israel supporters stood across the street, including one who was doused with fake blood for engaging with pro-Palestinian students.
A pro-Israel bystander was verbally attacked and had ketchup thrown at him by protesters. Some Jewish individuals who grew up during previous conflicts are concerned with the current situation and the level of hatred present. One supporter mentioned the lack of peaceful solutions and calls for the protesters to seek solutions elsewhere. Within Our Lifetime, a group led by Nerdeen Kiswani, condemned universities like Columbia for representing oppression. New York City council members visited the demonstration as well.
Numerous individuals not associated with Columbia, including Susan Sarandon and a former CUNY professor, participated in the protests. A spokesperson for Columbia University stated that while the tent encampment has been dismantled, more demonstrations are expected to continue. Columbia and Barnard College faculty condemned the arrests made by the administration, calling for the records to be expunged immediately. They demanded that students’ rights and privileges be restored and that no students face disciplinary action for protesting.
The faculty condemned the administration’s suspension of students engaged in peaceful protest and their subsequent arrests. They emphasized the importance of protecting students’ freedom of speech and called for a dismissal of all suspensions and charges, as well as the restoration of rights and privileges to the students. The faculty also requested that no students face disciplinary action without due process and that any police presence on campus be handled with consultation with the Executive Committee of the University Senate. Overall, there is ongoing tension and protests at Columbia University regarding divestment from Israel and Palestinian liberation.
