Anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University in New York City took control of one of the buildings on campus early Tuesday morning after defying orders to disperse from their encampment on campus.
University officials gave protesters a 2 p.m. Monday deadline to leave the encampment after talks between the administration and protesters broke down, with the school claiming Monday evening that it had begun to hand down suspensions to disobedient students. Nearly 12 hours after the deadline, protesters stormed and took over Hamilton Hall on campus.
The group behind the protests, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, said early on Tuesday it would remain in the building until the university agreed to its demands of “divestment, financial transparency, and amnesty.”
Videos of the protest showed broken glass, chanting, and the unfurling of multiple banners at the building. The banners protesters hung included one with the word “intifada,” an Arabic word meaning rebellion or uprising that recalls two bloody conflicts between Gaza and Israel beginning in 1987.
The university’s public safety office announced early Tuesday that access to the Morningside Campus would be limited to students living in residence halls on campus and employees who provide “essential services to campus buildings, labs and residential student life.”
“This access restriction will remain in place until circumstances allow otherwise,” Columbia University Public Safety said in the announcement. “The safety of every single member of this community is paramount. We thank you for your patience, cooperation and understanding.”
Protests against Israel at various universities in recent weeks, including Columbia, have called on the institutions to divest from companies that do business with Israel.
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The protests could force schools to delay or cancel commencement ceremonies. The University of Southern California has already announced it has canceled its main stage commencement ceremony.
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began in October 2023 after the terrorist group launched an attack against Israel on Oct. 7.
