Dozens of students were arrested during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Yale University in Connecticut and New York University in Manhattan on Monday. The protests were in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and have had a significant impact on U.S. university campuses.
In response to protesters establishing tent encampments on its New York City campus last week, Columbia University canceled all in-person classes on Monday.
Columbia University Cancels All In-Person Classes
Due to the takeover of the campus by anti-Israeli protesters and the University's apparent inability or unwillingness to control the situation, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has canceled all in-person classes on… pic.twitter.com/QF3aua0Cqq
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) April 22, 2024
More than 45 protesters were arrested by police after they blocked traffic around Yale’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut. The demonstrators were demanding that the university divest from military weapons manufacturers. This information was reported by the student-run Yale Daily News.
After nightfall, police officers in New York City took action against the crowd of NYU demonstrators who had been defying university warnings. These protesters had set up an encampment in a plaza and were subsequently removed by the police, as seen in videos shared on social media.
During the confrontation with officers, protesters chanted, “We will persist, we will not back down. Demand transparency and divestment.”
Following a request from the university, New York police made arrests for trespassing violations. However, the exact number of arrests and citations won’t be known until later. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, student protests erupted at prestigious universities such as Yale, Columbia, and NYU. These demonstrations were triggered by the escalation of tensions after a deadly cross-border raid by Hamas militants on October 7, followed by Israel’s forceful response in the Gaza enclave controlled by Hamas.
In an email addressed to Columbia’s staff and students, President Nemat Minouche Shafik announced that the university would transition from in-person classes to online teaching. The purpose behind this decision was to reduce tension and provide everyone an opportunity to contemplate the next course of action.
Recently, President Shafik enlisted the help of the New York Police to disband a tent encampment that protesters had established on Columbia University’s main lawn. The demonstrators were demanding that the university divest from investments related to Israel—an unconventional action that drew criticism from certain faculty members.
The university administration deemed the encampment in violation of rules. Subsequently, over 100 Columbia students were arrested on Thursday for trespassing charges. In response to the protests, both Columbia and its affiliated Barnard College have temporarily suspended numerous students.
“Some external individuals, unaffiliated with Columbia, have taken advantage of these tensions and exacerbated them on campus while pursuing their own interests,” stated Shafik. Last week, Shafik testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee, defending the university’s handling of alleged antisemitism during protests.
Shafik faced calls for resignation from both Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate.
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