Columbia University has become a focal point of heightened tensions as pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue to escalate. The campus has been sealed off by police, who have erected barricades in response to student protesters occupying buildings and vowing to resist eviction. The demonstrations, which have spread to dozens of college campuses across the United States, have led to several hundred arrests. Protesters remain defiant, vowing to continue their actions despite threats of suspension and expulsion. Earlier, students had barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall, drawing the ire of the White House, which condemned the seizure as an inappropriate approach to peaceful protest. The protests have raised concerns about free speech rights and the potential for anti-Semitism. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik acknowledged that the situation has led to fear among Jewish students on campus. Student organizers, however, deny accusations of anti-Semitism, emphasizing that their protests are directed at the Israeli government’s actions. Meanwhile, the unrest has spread to other campuses, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where police cleared an encampment, and Cal Poly Humboldt, where nearly three dozen protesters were arrested after a week-long occupation. Portland State University has also closed its campus due to an ongoing incident in the library, while Brown University has reached an agreement with student protesters to remove their encampment in exchange for a vote on divesting from Israel. The protests have attracted global attention, with United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk expressing concern over the heavy-handed tactics used to disperse campus protests and emphasizing the importance of freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.
Columbia University Tensions Rise Amidst Pro-Palestinian Protests
