Columbia University not to divest ties with Israel; Starts suspending pro-Palestine Protestors
The university has warned the protestors to vacate the encampment by 2 pm ET and rejected their divestment demand. The university has started a crackdown on the pro-Palestine protestors.
Image source: NBC News
While the pro-Palestine protests have spread across the US universities, the hub of the protests Columbia University has made its position clear on Monday and said that the university won't divest from Israel' and will only permit on-campus protests that follow specific guidelines.
President Minouche Shafik said that to conduct a protest on the campus, the protestors need to provide advance notice at least two days prior to the protest and it can be conducted only in authorised locations as outlined by the university's policy.
President Minouche Shafik, in a statement Monday, announced that talks had broken down, she said "Many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy," as reported by NDTV.
Columbia University sets deadline for pro-Palestine protestors
The university made it clear that the protestors should vacate the encampment by 2 pm ET and sign a form committing to abide by university policies through June 2025. Those who follow these instructions will get the chance to complete their graduation and semester on positive terms. The university has warned the protestors who plan to not follow these guidelines of consequences that include suspension for a term or more, expulsion and also access restriction.
"We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus," said Ben Chang, a university spokesperson, at a briefing on Monday evening, as reported by Hindustan Times.
US Universities unrest over Israel and Gaza war continues
University of Texas at Austin also called police to crack down on the protests. The police officials used pepper spray, and made arrests, more than 350 people were arrested over the weekend.
"No encampments will be allowed," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on social media.
The US students are protesting across - Northeastern University in Boston, Arizona State University in Tempe, Indiana University in Bloomington and Washington University in St. Louis.
Meanwhile, Hamas stuck to its demands for a permanent ceasefire that would lead to a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
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