Columbia University Protests Continue as Faculty Rebukes President
Columbia University students engaged in pro-Palestinian demonstrations have reached a deadlock with administrators, expressing their intent to maintain their encampment until their demands for divestment are fulfilled. This announcement comes after two days of extensive negotiations, during which Columbia’s president faced harsh criticism from faculty members. The situation intensifies pressure on university officials to resolve the issue before upcoming graduation ceremonies.
Across the nation, protesters at universities are demanding that institutions sever financial ties with Israel and divest from businesses accused of fueling the conflict. Some Jewish students have raised concerns about the protests verging into antisemitism, creating a sense of fear on campus. With May commencement ceremonies approaching, universities face mounting pressure to address and resolve these demonstrations.
At Columbia, protesters have defiantly set up a tent encampment in front of the graduation site. Student negotiators representing the encampment stated that despite progress on enhancing financial transparency, the university has not yet met their primary demand for divestment. “We will not relent until Columbia divests,” declared Jonathan Ben-Menachem, a fourth-year doctoral student.
Columbia officials acknowledged that negotiations were progressing, but a noticeable police and security presence remained on campus. Ben Chang, a spokesperson for Columbia University, emphasized that if talks fail, the university will explore alternative options. Meanwhile, Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, faced a symbolic rebuke from faculty on Friday but retained the support of trustees, who hold the authority to dismiss or appoint the president.
A report by the university senate’s executive committee, representing the faculty, concluded that Shafik and her administration had “taken many actions and decisions that have harmed Columbia University.” These included: involving the police and allowing student arrests without faculty consultation, failing to defend the institution against external pressures, 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 at Columbia who is part of a faculty team protecting the encampment.
Amidst the protests, one of the Columbia student protesters, Khymani James, retracted comments he made in an online video from January that recently resurfaced. In the video, James stated that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and expressed gratitude for not acting on his violent inclinations. In a statement, he expressed regret for his earlier remarks. “What I said was wrong,” he said. “Every member of our community deserves to feel safe without qualification.” Protest organizers distanced themselves from James’ comments, emphasizing that they did not reflect their values.
Police confrontations with protesters have occurred at various universities, including Indiana University, Bloomington, where 34 arrests were made; Ohio State University, with approximately 36 arrests; and the University of Connecticut, where one individual was arrested. California Poly Humboldt remains closed through the weekend, while USC canceled its May 10 “main stage” graduation ceremony following the arrest of over 90 protesters on campus.
In New York, a dozen protesters occupied a building at the Fashion Institute of Technology, spending the night in tents and sleeping bags. The institute’s museum, located within the building, was closed on Friday. The encampment at George Washington University also housed protesters overnight. The university issued a statement on Friday, declaring that those remaining were trespassing on private property and that disciplinary action would be taken against students involved in unauthorized demonstrations.
Emory University President Gregory Fenves expressed his shock and horror in an email on Friday regarding videos of a clash between police and individuals on campus. He attributed the unrest to “highly organized, outside protesters” who allegedly arrived in vans and established a presence on the quad. However, an earlier statement from university officials indicated that 20 of the 28 arrested individuals were members of the university community. Widely circulated footage on social media shows two women, identifying themselves as professors, being detained. One officer is seen slamming one of the women to the ground, while another pushes her chest and face onto a concrete sidewalk.
Since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the U.S. Education Department has initiated civil rights investigations into numerous universities and schools in response to complaints of antisemitism or Islamophobia. Several institutions facing protests, including Harvard University and Columbia, are among those under investigation.
