University talks about “alternative options” if the site is not released; Protesters have until Thursday night (25 April)
Columbia University, in New York (USA), has set a deadline for pro-Palestine protesters to leave the camps set up at the educational institution. In a statement, the president of the university, Minouche Shafik, had said that the site should be released by 11:59 pm on Tuesday (April 23, 2024), but the deadline was extended by 48 hours, according to a note sent to the newspaper The Washington Post.
The university is in negotiations with protest organizers. If the talks are not successful, Shafik said on Tuesday (April 23), the educational institution “will need to consider alternative options to clean up the west lawn and restore calm to campus.”. Here is the full statement, in English (PDF – 196 kB).
Demonstrations against the war in the Gaza Strip began in Columbia on April 17, with students setting up camps on the university campus. The following day (April 18), the New York police arrested more than 100 people who were at the demonstration after the institution’s president authorized the police operation.
The demonstration was accused of anti-Semitism. However, the group organizing the protest said the attacks against Jews were carried out by “inflamed individuals” that do not represent them.
“I fully support the importance of freedom of expression, respect the right to demonstrate, and recognize that many of the protesters gathered peacefully”, said the university president. “However, the camp raises serious safety concerns, disrupts campus life, and has created a tense and sometimes hostile environment for many members of our community. It is essential that we move forward with a plan to dismantle it“, continued.
“I want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing or discriminatory behavior. We are working to identify protesters who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and will be subject to appropriate disciplinary processes. The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination are antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to being a community of mutual respect and kindness”, he added.
In addition to Columbia, Yale Universities and NYU (New York University) register demonstrations in favor of Palestine.
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