In the past two weeks, American universities have been in dire straits.
A protest by American college students surrounding the arrest of Columbia students quickly spread in the United States. Hundreds of students have been arrested so far in the wake of class suspensions, protests, and assaults on police officers at many well-known universities.
Let's see!
Cause of the incident
According to the New York Times, on April 18, local time, protests broke out at Columbia University. A group of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied on the campus of Columbia University to express strong dissatisfaction with the university's handling of anti-Semitism.
(Source: New York Times)
In the immediate aftermath of the protests, the president of Columbia University issued instructions to the New York Police Department to clear the campus, resulting in more than 100 protesters being detained and taken away by the police.
On April 17, local time, the House Education Committee continued to investigate anti-Semitism at the university, and Columbia University President Minouche Shafik underwent an "anti-Semitism hearing", at which she was arguably tortured many times.
As the first female president appointed in Columbia's 269-year history, she was also the youngest vice president of the World Bank, deputy governor of the Bank of England, and the first female leader of LSE, before taking over as Lee Bollinger, the former president of Columbia University, in 2023.
At the hearing, she testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee for nearly four hours, along with other university administrators, on the steps Ivy League universities are taking to address the rise in antisemitism.
Republicans have harshly criticized Columbia University for failing to respond to antisemitism on its campuses and for being too soft on its disciplinary approach to faculty and students who violate harassment policies.
Colombian conflict escalated
On the day of the hearing, mass protests erupted at Columbia University. Angry Columbia students gathered together and set up tents on the lawn.
A temporary home for more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters
They protested Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, called on the United States to end military aid to Israel, and demanded that universities withdraw their investments from companies that profit from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Later, the president of Columbia University said that the demonstrators had gathered illegally in violation of the university's security regulations, and refused to evacuate despite repeated warnings. New York police then arrested a number of demonstrators who refused to take a stand.
On the 18th, the NYPD arrested 108 protesters, including Isra Hirsi, the daughter of a member of the US Congress. All arrested protesters will be fined and given a legal warning for trespassing. These sanctions may include suspension, warning, or expulsion.
(Source: Reuters)
But unexpectedly, the police intervention provoked more protests.
According to Columbia University sources, after the arrest of students on Thursday, most students announced that they would continue to sit-in in the camp set up on University Square. Outside the university, at the same time, thousands of protesters from across New York continue to stand in solidarity with the students and support their sit-in.
In addition, some student unions at Columbia University are also taking the lead in calling on the president of Columbia University to cancel the decision to "suspend students". Faculty and staff held signs that read, "Don't touch our students" and "End student suspension."
At 1:14 a.m. local time on April 22, Columbia University President Bu will switch to online classes from now on to "alleviate hatred" and "give everyone a chance to consider their next move."
She encouraged students who live off-campus and faculty and staff who can work remotely not to come to campus. This means that the school has stopped in-person classes.
Demonstrations at several universities in the United States
The student protests have now spread to elite U.S. universities over calls for universities to withdraw "investments linked to Israeli military occupation" in the Gaza conflict. Schools organized rallies in solidarity with Columbia students, and even announced that they would go on strike.
01 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.
(Source: Internet)
Protesters set up more than a dozen camping tents and a central tent to store food and aerated watermelons, a symbol of Palestinian unity, and set up handmade signs demanding divestment.
Harvard University's Palestinian Solidarity Committee has announced that it will strike classes in solidarity with "determined Colombian students". In front of the university hall, attendees shouted, "We stand in solidarity with our brave classmates at Columbia. They are our moral exemplars. The price of solidarity is expensive, but we are willing to bear the brunt of it. ”
02 Yale University
Yale students also began a hunger strike last week. On April 10, a group of graduate and undergraduate students at Yale announced that they would begin a hunger strike on April 12 unless Yale University made a public statement announcing the withdrawal of funds from the weapons manufacturing companies involved in the Hamas-Israel war. In the past week, they have not eaten anything solid, only drinking water and electrolytes.
But Yale was not pressured by its students to compromise. On April 18, Yale University issued a statement in response to a student hunger strike. Yale University has publicly announced its decision to uphold its previous decision and not to divest from military arms manufacturers.
So far, 47 people have been arrested during the pro-Pakistani protests at Yale University. According to Yale University, police issued 47 subpoenas on Monday and said that the arrested students could be disciplined by the school and may even be suspended.
"Concerned about the safety of the entire Yale community, the school has decided to arrest those who do not wish to leave the square," a Yale spokesperson said in a statement. ”
03 University of Southern California
Tensions at the University of Southern California have been high as student protests erupt in the wake of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that led to student protests on campus.
On April 24, a scuffle broke out between USC law enforcement officers and demonstrators as USC officials demanded the removal of tents.
As of 10 p.m., USC police had arrested 93 people after warning protesters to disperse, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The arrested were registered with the Los Angeles Police Department Metropolitan Branch in downtown Los Angeles on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing.
USC has announced that the campus will be closed in the afternoon and will only be open to students with USC ID cards at the pedestrian gates.
04 Brown University
Around 12 p.m. on April 19, about 100 students rallied on campus at Brown University in support of Columbia students. This follows the arrest of 61 Brown students for holding a sit-in in University Hall.
05 Princeton University
On April 19, about 200 Princeton students and supporters gathered at Nassau Hall, the oldest and most famous building on campus.
According to several students, the protesters' demands include the university's divestment from companies linked to Israel's ongoing military operations, full financial transparency, divestment of fossil fuels, and full recognition of the college's role in the military-industrial complex.
In addition to these institutions, demonstrations also included Ohio State University, New York University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of California, Berkeley, and others. However, the event also raised anti-Semitic and safety concerns, and the university and law enforcement authorities took action.
It is worth noting that there will be more demonstrations at universities in the coming days.
Currently, at MIT, police are on standby, but so far no arrests have been made in connection with the protests.
Activists from Georgetown University, Penn State University, and Syracuse University will hold a rally or protest at 10:30 a.m. ET;
In addition, universities such as Fordham University, Purdue University, Indiana University, Brown University, Stanford University and other universities plan to hold more rallies or protests throughout the day.
All Chinese students should remember not to participate in such activities! I wish the conflict will subside as soon as possible and the campus will return to peace as soon as possible!
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