War in Gaza sets US university campuses on fire
Columbia University announced that all classes will be remote on Monday in an effort to “de-escalate the situation” amid rising tensions on campus over Israel’s war in Gaza. “The decibels of our disagreement have only increased in recent days,” said Minouche Shafiq, the school’s president. “We need a reset.”
The shift to virtual learning comes just days after dozens of Columbia students were suspended and arrested at a protest camp on the school’s lawn, calling on the university to divest companies linked to Israel Was.
Meanwhile, at Yale University on Monday morning, agents arrested students who had also set up tents on campus urging divestment from the university. The Yale Police Department told NPR that 40 to 45 people were arrested. The flashpoints are the latest in months of unrest on campus Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, More than 34,000 Palestinians were killed following the Israeli invasion of Gaza, two-thirds of whom were women and children, according to local health officials. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Gaza. On Wednesday, Columbia students protesting Israel’s war and blockade of Gaza set up camp on the school’s south lawn, dubbed the “Gaza Solidarity Camp.” This occurred on the same day that Shafiq testified before Congress that anti-Semitism was a serious problem on campus and would not be tolerated.
The next day Shafiq called the New York Police Department. In a statement, it said the demonstration “poses a clear and present danger to the vital functioning of the university.” He said students received multiple warnings that they were violating campus protocols. More than 100 people were arrested. Tension remained high on campus over the weekend. On Sunday, Eli Buechler, a rabbi who works at Columbia, advised Jewish students to return home and stay at home, citing safety concerns. His message came the day before the beginning of Passover.
Buechler wrote in a conversation with students, “I am very sad to say that I strongly recommend that you return home as soon as possible and stay until the dramatic reality in and around campus becomes clear.” There is no improvement in appearance.”
He also expressed disappointment in the administration’s response to anti-Semitism on campus. According to the Spectator, at a demonstration on Saturday, when students played Israeli music and waved the Israeli flag, a man approached them with a sign that read «Al Qassam’s next objectives (The al-Qassam Brigades is the military wing of Hamas.)
Columbia University did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment. The arrests drew intense criticism from within and outside the campus. The editorial board of the student newspaper “Columbia Daily Spectator” wrote that the university “has ignored countless pleas to engage meaningfully with students, instead continuing down a path of surveillance, harassment, and authoritarian policies. “
The Columbia and Barnard College chapter of the American Association of University Professors said it condemned the arrests of students who participated in peaceful protests. “We demand that all suspensions and charges against Barnard College and Columbia University be immediately dismissed,” he said.
In recent days, students from other schools set up their own protest camps in solidarity with the largely arrested Columbia students. He also called for divestment from Israel. According to news reports and social media posts, camps have been held at Yale, New York University, MIT, Tufts University, Emerson College and New York-based The New School.
At Yale, about 40 tents and hundreds of protesters occupied Beinecke Plaza in the center of campus since Friday night, according to the Yale Daily News. The student newspaper also reported Sunday night that the demonstration “remained peaceful.” On Monday morning, a Yale spokesperson told YDN: “The University made the decision to arrest those involved with the safety of the entire Yale community in mind and to allow all members of our community access to University facilities. Who did not leave the plaza. Columbia and Yale They’re not the only school where leaders are taking action against student protesters. Earlier this month, three Vanderbilt University students were expelled after a group of student protesters broke into the chancellor’s office and injured a campus security guard. Last week, the University of Southern California canceled its commencement address due to unspecified security concerns.
The best student of that time, Asna TabassumThe first-generation American Muslim, sparked controversy with her social media posts related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
He said, “For the last few days, the discussion regarding the selection of our Honorable has become worrying.” Andrew T. Guzman, USC provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs said in a statement Monday.
On Saturday, the University of Pennsylvania announced that it had shut down the student group Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine for “failing to comply with the policies governing student organizations at Penn.” UPenn did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.