Current Events > Pro-Palestine protesters arrested en masse at Columbia University

(+) Yeah! (+)

Tensions are high at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas war and the school's response to ongoing protests on campus.

School administrators have restricted campus access to students and staff with university IDs.

Shouting and chanting resumed early Friday morning from the direction of the school's main lawn, where it appears pro-Palestinian demonstrators have reoccupied the area for a third straight day. Video from overhead showed protesters sprawling on sleeping bags and mats, with banners and Palestinian flags laid out around them. They are demanding a cease-fire in Gaza and for the university to divest from Israel.

The NYPD arrested more than 100 people Thursday at the encampment they set up on the main lawn, as demonstrations continued on and off the school's campus in Upper Manhattan.

"I didn't think there was a safety concern at all, because they were actually passing out food to everybody coming by, they were really interacting. It was really nice to see, actually, the community coming together on both sides," one student told CBS New York.

Police monitored activities near campus for most of the day Thursday and made some arrests before confronting students at the makeshift tent city. Officers in riot gear shut down the street at 114th Street and Broadway with seven correctional buses, and then removed students from the encampment.

"We were walking around different parts of campus to occupy that space and demand that our voices be heard," one Columbia student said. "And when I showed up, everybody had already been arrested."

"One by one, these cops got each of the encampment protesters sitting down and standing up and put them in zip ties and walked them," another student said. "It's a very difficult time for a lot of people. I think it's unfortunate that it's come down to this."

"Clearly, as you see, the school does not have any effort to help protect the students who are peacefully protesting," pro-Palestinian protester and student Jin Hookky said.

In a letter, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik asked the NYPD to move in, writing "I have determined that the encampment and related disruptions pose a clear and present danger to the substantial functioning of the University."

"With great regret, we request the NYPD's help to remove these individuals," she wrote.

Jackboots gonna jackboot, unfortunately. Glad their opposition is admitting this is an unreasonable response by the university though.

College students are leaning the hard way that they have very few rights. They signed them away amongst the other paperwork during admission.

Columbia University

Suuure. Tell that to the victims of Kent State.

Good.

Good.

You have outside people joining the protest with some really bad actual antisemitic language, and it's badly coloring the more peaceful protests which is unfortunate.
Whole thing is looking like a shit show it seems

College students are leaning the hard way that they have very few rights. They signed them away amongst the other paperwork during admission.

I was confident that Israel was losing the public relations war and that it was ultimately going to be a serious threat to its existence (ironically, self-inflicted). But I forgot to take into account that nobody with any power has ever really cared about Palestinians (that's the story of their existence). I have noticed pro-Palestinian protestors (in the US) getting more and more frustrated that they are being ignored, and becoming increasingly desperate and bold in their attempts to attract attention to their cause. I am worried about where that might lead them.

I've seen a lot of pro-hamas chants and signs. I hope it's the minority...

Being pro-Palestine is quite taboo in the US it seems.

You have outside people joining the protest with some really bad actual antisemitic language, and it's badly coloring the more peaceful protests which is unfortunate.
Whole thing is looking like a shit show it seems

So, you're saying they had rights before going to college, or would have more rights if they didn't go to college? That makes no sense >_>

Sorry, I thought it was common knowledge, so I didn't elaborate: Upon enrolling, students typically sign documents agreeing to certain restrictions on conduct, speech, and arbitration. Sometimes it's part of an "honor code" or "code of conduct". It basically gives the school the ability to sanction (or even kick out) a student for nearly any reason, with little recourse. Students have very little power when they get into a conflict with the administration. In other words, an otherwise legal demonstration might have serious consequences at a school, especially a private school.

It's not common knowledge because it's complete bullshit. You're not "signing away your rights" as you put it, at least not at the vast majority of schools, except for maybe those super right wing religious institutions which make up less the five percent of them. And even then, getting kicked out isn't exactly a loss of rights--you wanted to go there and chose to sign a contract that you can read first when you could have easily gone to one of the majority of other schools. Smh. I get the feeling that you've never actually been to college.

I fucking hate that bad actors pretty routinely ruin perfectly valid and salient protests.

I wish there was a stronger protest movement "for peace" or "against terror". Or at least more nuances movements like "against Netanyahu and his government" and at the same time "against hamas".
Being "pro-Palestine" is not wrong per se, but among the people who participate on these movements there are unfortunately always some, who spread hatred of Jews or deny the State of Israel their right to exist.

They undermine the protest movement and promote the conflict. Which is the opposite decent humans should aim for. The aim should be de-escalation and a holistic understanding of the conflict, not an increasingly one-sided intake of information. This only encourages radicalization.

It is my observation, probably due to excessive usage of social media, that more and more people are unable to see and discuss about a conflict while trying to understand both sides (and the conflict as a whole).

It's not common knowledge because it's complete bullshit. You're not "signing away your rights" as you put it, at least not at the vast majority of schools, except for maybe those super right wing religious institutions which make up less the five percent of them. And even then, getting kicked out isn't exactly a loss of rights--you wanted to go there and chose to sign a contract that you can read first when you could have easily gone to one of the majority of other schools.

Smh. I get the feeling that you've never actually been to college.

I think the language and chants some are using (at least what I'm seeing on social media, which I acknowledge might not be representative) has really bad optics and is unnecessarily inflammatory .

I've seen a lot of pro-hamas chants and signs. I hope it's the minority...

It seems, to me, that the most necessarily inflammatory thing to happen here is sending in the cops. It's April. Finals are a week or two away. This would have fizzled out on its own, but Columbia's decision to respond through policing has resulted in similar protests popping up at campuses across the northeast:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/nyregion/college-campus-protests-photos-yale-columbia.html

I agree that they shouldn't have sent in the cops.

Okay, fine, maybe saying "rights" is maybe speaking too loosely.

I'm confident that I went to a better college than you. In fact, I went to a better one than the kids in question.

lol. What Ivy League school did you go to?

I went to one that was in the news early on during the conflict, for similar reasons.

Sure you did, buddy

Ah, the strongest possible Internet argument. Your misconception will not prevent me from enjoying my day.

SJP on my campus openly endorsed the oct 7 attack

Literally they said it wasn't a terror attack and that it was resistance and that they supported resistance in all forms.

And that is exactly what I meant in my previous post. It's one thing - and totally legit and rightful! - to pray for Palestine civilians and condemn what Netanyahu and his regime is doing in Gaza. But it's not okay to delegitimize the terrorism on oct 7, to legitimize Hamas, or generally spread hate of Jews at the same time. But this stance can be seen from many participants of these pro-Palestine protest movements, unfortunately. I find that worrying.