As tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas continue to simmer on campuses across the country, Columbia University moved classes online on Monday, while dozens of Yale students were arrested in protests and Harvard Yard was closed to the public.
Protesters at Columbia University set up a camp last week, leading to the arrest of more than 100 students. The protests raised concerns about the safety of Jewish students and sparked a national debate about student demonstrations as universities grappled with the growing unrest sparked by the war in Gaza.
According to Reuters, more than 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia University in the United States after protests broke out in support of Palestine.
*The picture comes from the Internet
On the 17th local time, students who participated in the protest at Columbia University set up tents on campus.
Later, the school called the police after saying that the protesters had violated the school's rules prohibiting unauthorized demonstrations.
After the police arrived at the protest scene, the students were asked to leave the scene as soon as possible, but the students refused to leave.
*The picture comes from the Internet
During this protest, police arrested 108 protesters and said the arrests were related to trespassing. Two of them were charged with obstructing government administration.
Columbia University said it had begun identifying students and suspending classes for students who participated in the tent-based protests.
*The picture comes from the Internet
Anti-Israel protesters near Columbia University shouted pro-Hamas slogans near the private university this week.
A radical protester shouted in the video: "We are Hamas!"
Another person can be heard shouting: "Long live Hamas!"
More than 100 anti-Israel protesters were arrested on Thursday as they set up camp on the campus, and the situation continued until Friday.
And these protests have led to the harassment of some Jewish students, who have been targeted by anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Elie Buechler, a rabbi of the Jewish Study Program of the Orthodox Union of Columbia University, sent a WhatsApp message to a group of about 300 Jewish students.
He urged Jewish students on Sunday to "go home as soon as possible." As tensions continue to rise at the Ivy League school, he said, pro-Palestinian protests on campus have jeopardized their safety.
Elie Buechler, director of the Orthodox Alliance-Jewish Campus Learning Initiative at Columbia University and Barnard College for Women, advises students not to go to school until security conditions have improved significantly.
Elie Buechler posted online: "What we witnessed on and around campus was horrific and tragic. "The events of the past few days, especially last night's, have made it clear that Columbia's public safety department and [the NYPD] cannot guarantee the safety of Jewish students in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy. ”
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said in a statement Monday that while online classes were being offered, a task force of deans, university administrators and faculty "will work to address this crisis," which includes speaking with student protesters.
*The picture comes from the Internet
Shai Davidai, an assistant professor of business at Columbia University, said he stood at the school's main entrance and spoke out against the school after he was denied access to campus Monday morning.
"They canceled my campus card, they didn't let me, a Jewish professor at Columbia, enter the campus," he said. ”
Davidai told the crowd gathered outside that he had not been given prior notice that his campus card would be cancelled, and the school later told him that he would be allowed to teach at Tuesday's business school.
David wrote on the social media platform: "Earlier today, Columbia University denied me access to campus. Why? Because they can't keep me safe as a Jewish professor. It's 1938. ”
At the same time, New York City and state leaders have spoken out against anti-Semitic rhetoric.
*The picture comes from the Internet
The recent campus crisis has left Columbia University president Minouche Shafik facing a lot of criticism, with Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik demanding her immediate resignation because the university's leadership "has apparently lost control of the campus."
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairman of the House Education Committee, sent a letter to university leaders on Sunday warning them of the consequences if they don't curb campus protests.
Harvard University
On the afternoon of April 19, about 200 Harvard students rallied in front of the library to denounce Harvard's ties to the Gaza war and to show solidarity with Columbia students arrested during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Harvard University reported yesterday.
*The picture comes from the Internet
At a time when a wave of high-profile pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted at several American universities, including Columbia University and Yale University, Harvard University had until Friday afternoon to restrict access to Harvard Yard, apparently in anticipation of student protests.
The closure of the campus shows that Harvard leadership wants to avoid repeating the mistakes of Columbia.
A closure notice was posted on the school gate warning that Harvard students and their affiliates would be disciplined if they would bring unauthorized facilities such as tents and desks, or block entrance to buildings.
An email sent to students and staff working on campus said the campus closure was "made out of great caution and with the safety of our community as a top priority."
While the spring semester was relatively quieter than the fall semester — frequent student protests in the fall semester widened campus divisions and led to controversy over former president Claudi Gay — the backlash sparked by the Columbia arrest coincided with the resurgence of pro-Palestinian activism at Harvard.
In recent weeks, three student governments at Harvard — the School of Theology, the School of Law, and the Graduate School of Design — have passed resolutions calling for Harvard's withdrawal from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza wars.
*The picture comes from the Internet
Yale University
Yale students also began a hunger strike last week.
Today, 47 people have already been arrested during the pro-Pakistani protests at Yale University.
*The picture comes from the Internet
Protesters have been demonstrating in the square during the day since last Monday and dispersed from the square every night after receiving a warning from the school. On Friday, they held a rally outside the board dinner and then set up an overnight camp.
Taran Samarth, a protester, said that every day during the occupation there were lectures on topics such as genocide and "poetry in Palestine and other places facing war and famine."
The camp is located next to Woodbridge Hall, the university president's office, which has historically been the site of campus protests. In the '80s, shanty towns were erected on Beinecke Plaza to protest apartheid in South Africa and to call for companies doing business there to withdraw their assets.
After protesters were arrested on Monday, workers cleared the area, removing garbage bags and pushing away piles of folded tents.
Yale said in a statement that it had repeatedly asked protesters to leave and warned them that they could be arrested or face disciplinary action. The university also said it had offered protesters the opportunity to meet with the main board, but decided on Sunday night that negotiations were deadlocked.
According to the university, campus police issued 47 subpoenas on Monday. Students who are arrested may face Yale's own punishments, including suspension, the university said.
U.S. President Joe Biden responds to 'antisemitism is a concern'
Protests at several major universities across the country have escalated for days, with U.S. President Joe Biden urging Americans to speak out against a "worrying wave of antisemitism" in the U.S.
"Silence is complicity," Biden said in a written statement Sunday night. "Even in recent days, we have seen calls for harassment and violence against Jews. This blatant anti-Semitism is reprehensible and dangerous – it has absolutely no place on college campuses or anywhere in our country.
In his statement on Sunday, Biden also wished the Jewish community a happy Passover, which begins Monday night.
"This year, let's remember the central theme of Passover, which is that even in the darkest of times, God's promise of protection gives us the strength to find hope, resilience, and redemption," Biden said. ”
Biden also said his administration will continue its efforts to implement the national strategy on antisemitism, announced last May.