A pro-Palestinian message displayed on a building at Emory University, the day after a student protest encampment in support of Palestine ended in arrests in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in on April 27 and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
As Columbia University continues negotiations with those at a pro-Palestinian student encampment on the New York school’s campus, the university’s senate passed a resolution on April 26 that created a task force to examine the administration’s leadership, which last week called in police in an attempt to clear the protest, resulting in scuffles and more than 100 arrests.
Though the university has repeatedly set and then pushed back deadlines for the removal of the encampment, the school sent an email to students on the night of April 26 saying that bringing back police “at this time” would be counterproductive, adding that they hope the negotiations show “concrete signs of progress tonight.” As the death toll mounts in the war in Gaza, protesters nationwide are demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus.
The decisions to call in law enforcement, leading to hundreds of arrests nationwide, have prompted school faculty members at universities in California, Georgia and Texas to initiate or pass votes of no confidence in their leadership. They are largely symbolic rebukes, without the power to remove their presidents.
But the tensions pile pressure on school officials, who are already scrambling to resolve the protests as May graduation ceremonies near.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, gave protestors who have barricaded themselves inside a building since April 22 until 5 pm on April 26 to leave and “not be immediately arrested.” The deadline came and went. Only some of the protesters left, others doubled down. After protesters rebuffed police earlier in the week, the campus was closed for the rest of the semester.
In Colorado, police swept through an encampment on April 26 at Denver’s Auraria Campus, which hosts three universities and colleges, arresting around 40 protesters on trespassing charges.
Students representing the Columbia encampment, which inspired the wave of protests across the country, said on April 26 that they reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue their protest.
After meetings on April 25 and April 26, student negotiators said the university had not met their primary demand for divestment, although there was progress on a push for more transparent financial disclosures.
“We will not rest until Columbia divests,” said Jonathan Ben-Menachem, a fourth-year doctoral student.
In the letter sent to Columbia students on April 26 night, the university’s leadership said “we support the conversations that are ongoing with student leaders of the encampment.” Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, faced significant criticism from faculty on April 26, but retained the support of trustees.
A report by the university senate’s executive committee, which represents faculty, found Mr. Shafik and her administration took “many actions and decisions that have harmed Columbia University.” Those included calling in police and allowing students to be arrested without consulting faculty, misrepresenting and suspending student protest groups and hiring private investigators.
“The faculty have completely lost confidence in president Shafik’s ability to lead this organization,” said Ege Yumusak, a philosophy lecturer who is part of a faculty team protecting the encampment.
In response, university spokesperson Ben Chang said in the evening that “we are committed to an ongoing dialogue and appreciate the Senate’s constructive engagement in finding a pathway forward.” Also on April 26, Columbia student protester Khymani James walked back comments made in an online video in January that recently received new attention. Mr. James said in the video that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and people should be grateful Mr. James wasn’t killing them.
“What I said was wrong,” Mr. James said in a statement. “Every member of our community deserves to feel safe without qualification.” Mr. James, who served as a spokesperson for the pro-Palestinian encampment as a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, was banned from campus on April 26, according to a Columbia spokesperson.
Protest organisers said Mr. James’ comments didn’t reflect their values. They declined to describe Mr. James’ level of involvement with the demonstration.
Police clashed with protesters on April 25 at Indiana University, Bloomington, where 34 were arrested; Ohio State University, where about 36 were arrested; and at the University of Connecticut, where one person was arrested.
The University of Southern California cancelled its May 10 graduation ceremony on April 25, a day after more than 90 protesters were arrested on campus. The university said it will still host dozens of commencement events, including all the traditional individual school ceremonies.
Universities where faculty members have initiated or passed votes of no confidence in their presidents include Cal Poly Humboldt, University of Texas at Austin and Emory University.
