Columbia University Cancelled Classes Because of Gaza

Columbia University in New York, USA cancelled in-person classes on Monday, Apr. 22 after days of protests over the war in Gaza, which led to condemnation from the White House. 

More than 100 students from the Columbia University Apartheid Divest coalition are camping out on the campus grounds. 

The protesters are calling for the university to divest from businesses related to Israel and from educational programmes the university has with academic institutions in Israel.

All classes were held online on Monday, Apr. 22 because of the ongoing protests on the university campus. 

Over a hundred protesters were arrested on Thursday, Apr. 18 after university president Nemat Shafik brought in the New York Police to clear out the overnight camp. 

However, after the police cleared the lawn, the students made camp on another lawn on the university grounds. 

On Monday, morning, campus police were checking student IDs at each gate of the university. The New York police was also stationed on pavements and roadways next to Columbia University. 

Pro-Palestinian protests have happened across various university campuses since Oct. 7, 2023, including Yale University, Boston's Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. 

Even New York University's downtown campus saw students set up an encampment at a campus plaza on Monday, Apr. 22.

Columbia University's president to call New York police on campus on Thursday last week was condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Association.

As 100s of students were arrested for exercising their right to p/assembly in support of #Palestine, I remind @Columbia to respect academic freedoms and student’s fundamental rights. The right to p/assembly is key for people to speak out against injustices& to mobilise for #peace pic.twitter.com/rg0qcQ1rG6

— UN Special Rapporteur Freedom of Association (@cvoule) April 20, 2024

Since then, the university's other faculty such as Professor Christoper Brown has called for the resignation of Nemat Shafik during the faculty walkout on Monday, which supported student protesters. 

 

 

 

 

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The student protesters have come out to show their support and solidarity with the Palestinians who are suffering from a humanitarian crisis because of the war in Gaza.