Colleges around the country implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday, including an ultimatum from Columbia University for students to sign a form and leave the encampment by the afternoon or face suspension.
Quick Read
- Campus Protests Escalate: Colleges across the U.S. are urging pro-Palestinian student protesters to dismantle tent encampments as campuses prepare for final exams and graduation ceremonies.
- Columbia University’s Ultimatum: Columbia University issued an ultimatum to protesters, threatening suspension unless they vacate the encampment and commit to abiding by university policies through June 2025 or until graduation.
- Nationwide Impact and Arrests: The movement has sparked similar demonstrations nationwide, leading to over 900 arrests, with significant actions at Indiana University, Arizona State University, and Washington University in St. Louis.
- Ongoing Negotiations: At Columbia, negotiations between university officials and protesters have yet to resolve the standoff, with the university opting against reintroducing police to clear encampments.
- Security Measures and New Protests: Other universities, including George Washington and Yale, are dealing with ongoing protests and security concerns, with some institutions like the University of Southern California canceling major events like graduation ceremonies.
- Community and Academic Responses: The protests have stirred significant community and academic response, with calls for amnesty for arrested students and debates over the impact of their actions on their future.
The Associated Press has the story:
Clear encampment or face suspension, Columbia Univ. tells pro-Palestine protesters
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Colleges around the country implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday, including an ultimatum from Columbia University for students to sign a form and leave the encampment by the afternoon or face suspension.
College classes nationwide are wrapping up for the semester, and campuses are preparing for graduation ceremonies.
The notice sent by Columbia to protesters in the encampment Monday said that if they leave by the designated time and sign a form committing to abide by university policies through June 2025 or an earlier graduation, they can finish the semester in good standing. If not, the letter said, they will be suspended, pending further investigation.
“We urge you to remove the encampment so that we do not deprive your fellow students, their families and friends of this momentous occasion,” the letter said, noting that exams are beginning and graduation is upcoming at the Ivy League university in New York City.
A spokesperson for Columbia confirmed the letter had gone out to students but declined to comment further.
Mahmoud Khalil, the lead negotiator on behalf of protesters, said university representatives began passing out the notices at the encampment shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. He said discussions were ongoing about how to proceed.
Early protests at Columbia, where demonstrators set up tents in the center of the campus, sparked pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country. Students and others have been sparring over the Israel-Hamas war and its mounting death toll. Many students are demanding their universities cut financial ties with Israel.
About 275 people were arrested Saturday at various campuses including Indiana University at Bloomington, Arizona State University and Washington University in St. Louis. The number of arrests nationwide has surpassed 900 since New York police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia and arrested more than 100 demonstrators on April 18.
The demonstrations at Columbia have led it to hold remote classes and set a series of deadlines for protesters to leave the encampment, which they have missed. The school said in an email to students that bringing back police “at this time” would be counterproductive.
The students and administrators have negotiated to end the disruptions, but the sides have not come to an agreement, university President Minouche Shafik said in a statement Monday.
Protests were still active at a number of campuses. Near George Washington University, protesters at an encampment breached and dismantled the barriers Monday morning used to secure University Yard, the university said in a statement. The yard had been closed since last week.
Protesters at Yale University set up a new encampment with dozens of tents Sunday afternoon, nearly a week after police arrested nearly 50 demonstrators and cleared a similar camp.
At least one school, the University of Southern California, canceled its main graduation ceremony this spring. Others are asking the protests to resolve peacefully so they can hold their ceremonies.
Protesters on both sides shouted and shoved each other during dueling demonstrations Sunday at the University of California, Los Angeles. The university stepped up security after “some physical altercations broke out among demonstrators,” Mary Osako, vice chancellor for UCLA Strategic Communications, said in a statement. There were no reports of arrests or injuries.
The plight of students who have been arrested has become a central part of protests, with the students and a growing number of faculty demanding amnesty for protesters. At issue is whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students through their adult lives.
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