In a significant surge of campus turmoil last week, the United States of America (USA) witnessed an intense confrontation as numerous New York City police officers, donning riot gear, entered the premises of Columbia University.
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Acting under the directive of the university’s president, Minouche Shafik, they apprehended over 108 student demonstrators who had erected a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ on campus, according to Vox.
The students are advocating for the institution to disinvest from entities and businesses affiliated with Israel amid the continuing conflict in Gaza.
As the protests persist, a heightened feeling of discomfort has enveloped Columbia University’s Jewish community, particularly as they embark on the approximately weeklong observance of Passover, a significant Jewish holiday commemorating freedom.
Despite Shafik’s assurance at a congressional hearing that she had implemented measures to ensure the safety of all students amid reported increases in anti-Semitic rhetoric on campus, students contended that the administration endangered them by authorising a ‘notoriously violent’ police unit to forcibly evict them.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell later characterised the detained students as ‘peaceful.’
In universities across America, including the University of North Carolina, Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Boston University, and University of California Berkeley, both students and faculties have organised marches, walkouts and other demonstrations in solidarity with Columbia students.
They aim to shed light on the 34 000 Palestinians killed in Israeli assaults in the months following Hamas’ actions on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1 200 Israelis and the taking of more than 200 hostages.
In New Haven, nearly 50 individuals were arrested by police on Yale University’s campus early Monday during the third day of an encampment protest. Meanwhile, Columbia announced a shift to virtual classes as part of a campus ‘reset,’ with plans for a hybrid approach for the remainder of the semester.
On Monday night, police arrested students at New York University’s campus, where approximately 400 individuals were protesting, following administrators’ characterisation of their demonstration as ‘disorderly, disruptive, and antagonising.’
Wednesday night saw a notable incident unfold on and around the University of Southern California (USC) campus, resulting in the arrest of 93 individuals, primarily on charges of misdemeanour trespass.
Earlier in the day, USC took the precautionary measure of closing the campus, allowing entry only to students presenting their USC IDs at pedestrian gates. This decision came in response to what the university described as ‘significant activity at the center of campus.’
LAPD Captain Kelly Muniz said that approximately 35 protesters had been formally processed for misdemeanour trespassing on Wednesday night, with several dozen more awaiting processing. Additionally, an altercation occurred within a segment of the protest area, leading to one arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, as reported by Muniz.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries sustained by either law enforcement officers or demonstrators.
The Texas Department of Safety reported that at least 34 individuals had been arrested at the University of Texas at Austin.
‘Today, our University held firm, enforcing our rules while protecting the Constitutional right to free speech. Peaceful protests within our rules are acceptable,’ University President Jay Hartzell said in a statement Wednesday evening.
‘Breaking our rules and policies and disrupting others’ ability to learn are not allowed. The group that led this protest stated it was going to violate Institutional Rules. Our rules matter, and they will be enforced. Our University will not be occupied.’
‘There is a way to exercise freedom of speech and civil discourse, and our Office of the Dean of Students has continued to offer ways to ensure protests can happen within the rules,’ Hartzell continued.
Students at Swarthmore College have taken their protest to a new level by setting up tents in the heart of the campus and spending nights sleeping in them.
Gathered near the administration building, students are chanting and expressing their determination for action. Their decision to camp out demonstrates their readiness to persist in their protest for as long as it takes.
‘I think it’s really an important historical moment that students across the country are taking a stand against the injustices that are happening in Palestine right now. We are taking a stand against racial apartheid. We are taking a stand against genocide,’ one student said.
The students are calling for Swarthmore to sever all financial connections with Israel and to disinvest from companies that support the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In response, the school has stated its commitment to working with student organisers and upholding freedom of expression. However, it has expressed concern about the encampment and has indicated that it will be part of the ongoing investigation into potential policy violations.
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Picture: Caitlin Ochs / Gallo Images