The anti-Israel student group at Columbia University refused to continue negotiations with school leaders until they received a written commitment that they would not be arrested or forcefully removed from their encampment on campus. The group accused Israel of starting a “genocidal assault” in Gaza and demanded that the administration not involve law enforcement in their protest. Critics of the group, including Jewish students and faculty, claimed that the demonstrations were disrupting learning and creating an unsafe, antisemitic environment at the university. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft even announced that he would be withdrawing support for his alma mater over the ongoing atmosphere at the school.
Similar protests had taken place at other universities, such as NYU and Yale, where police were called to clear out tent cities set up by protesters. Both NYU and Yale dispersed the protesters, with NYU setting up a temporary plywood wall around the perimeter and Yale police kicking out the group from the school’s plaza. Columbia University had resisted the idea of allowing police on campus and instead resorted to remote learning as Jewish students expressed concerns for their safety. Despite the resistance from the school, a group of protesters gathered near the home of Sen. Chuck Schumer in Brooklyn to condemn his support for Israel and demand an end to the U.S. providing weapons to Israel for its battle against Hamas in Gaza.
At Sen. Schumer’s home, protesters were arrested after refusing to move from a major intersection, leading to cheers from onlookers who obeyed police commands. The protesters were led out in groups with their wrists zip-tied behind their backs and placed on jail buses. Police in tactical gear also staged near the Columbia campus, but did not remove any agitators after the school extended the deadline for them to leave by another 48 hours. Despite the fiery announcement from the SJP, the school stated that negotiations had involved a “constructive dialogue” and that the protesters had agreed to downsize their encampment, remove non-student agitators, and police themselves against discriminatory or harassing language.
The SJP and aligned groups accused Israel of conducting a genocidal assault in Gaza, referring to a Hamas terrorist invasion that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis and more than 200 being held hostage. Critics of the SJP protests, including Jewish students and faculty, claimed that the demonstrations were disrupting learning and creating an unsafe, antisemitic environment at the university. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft publicly condemned school leaders and announced that he would be withdrawing support for his alma mater over the ongoing atmosphere. Protesters at NYU and Yale were dispersed by police, with tactics such as setting up temporary walls and relocating protesters to public spaces. Columbia University resisted allowing police on campus and opted for remote learning as Jewish students expressed concerns for their safety.
Protesters gathered near Sen. Chuck Schumer’s home in Brooklyn to condemn his support for Israel and demand an end to the U.S. providing weapons to Israel in its battle against Hamas in Gaza. The NYPD arrested dozens of protesters who refused to move from a major intersection, with onlookers cheering as they were led away with their wrists zip-tied behind their backs. Police in tactical gear were also staged near the Columbia campus, but did not remove any protesters after the school extended the deadline for them to leave. Despite the SJP’s refusal to break camp, the school stated that negotiations had involved a constructive dialogue and that protesters had agreed to downsize their encampment and police themselves against discriminatory or harassing language.
