As we reported, Columbia University in New York is fed up with the pro-Hamas encampment on their campus and has exhausted negotiation efforts with the student protestors. Earlier on Monday, embattled president Minouche Shafik said in a statement, "Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement," and that "the University will not divest from Israel."
Now, Columbia has issued a warning to the students saying that they will be suspended if they don’t clear their tent encampment by 2 p.m. Monday. The warning letter, shared by the Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, was received as NYPD buses were spotted arriving outside the Morningside Heights campus Monday morning.
The letter said:
It is important for you to know that the university has already identified many students in the encampment. If you do not leave by 2pm, you will be suspended pending further investigation.
If you voluntarily leave by 2pm, identify yourself to a university officials, and sign the provided form where you commit to abide by all university policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier, you will be eligible to complete the semester in good standing.
The group took to social media to organize a resistance to the effort to clear the encampment, writing:
Do not sign anything with the administration.
Show up at NOON to protect the encampment!
ACTION ALERT:
— Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (@ColumbiaSJP) April 29, 2024
- Columbia University admin threatens MASS SUSPENSIONS and DISCIPLINARY PROBATION (until June 2025) to Gaza Solidarity Encampment participants who don’t leave by 2 PM.
- Do not sign anything with administration.
- Show up at NOON to protect the encampment! ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/v1Qw5gXu0q
Also on Monday, some House Democrats including Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Dan Goldman of New York called on the university to end the on-campus chaos.
The lawmakers issued a letter to CUNY Trustees, writing:
For the past week, this encampment has been the breeding ground for antisemitic attacks on Jewish students, including hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and even threats of violence. Last weekend, a student held up a sign pointing to pro-Israel students that said “Al-Qa[ss]am’s next targets,” referring to the military arm of Hamas, the foreign terrorist organization responsible for the atrocities of October 7, and for holding hostage innocent civilians – including Americans – in brutal captivity for nearly seven months.1 One of the protest leaders has previously declared, “Zionists — they are Nazis. They’re Nazis. They’re fascists. They’re supporters of genocide. Why would we want people who are supporters of genocide to live?” and students routinely chanted “from the river to the sea,” which is a cry to eliminate Israel and all Jews within its borders.
The House members called on the trustees to "act decisively, disband the encampment, and ensure the safety and security of all of its students." The lawmakers suggest that if the Trustees will not do this, they should step down, writing:
If any Trustees are unwilling to do this, they should resign so that they can be replaced by individuals who will uphold the University’s legal obligations under Title VI.
College and university campuses across the nation have been plagued by protest "tent city" encampments popping up which create hostile and violent environments for Jewish students and resulted in hundreds of arrests in the past week. Columbia, which has been the central focal point of the encampments, has now set the stage for a final show-down between Hamas sympathizers and the NYPD.
This is a developing story that RedState will continue to follow.
Read More:
House Democrats Rake Columbia University Over the Coals for Their Handling of Pro-Hamas Protests
Insanity: This Is How Columbia Administrators Are 'Policing' the Pro-Hamas Student Encampment
Join the conversation as a VIP Member