Columbia University Students Protest: What's The Issue?

Columbia University has a long history of student protests, with the most recent demonstrations in 2024 centred around the pro-Palestine movement, echoing the anti-war protests of 1968. Students have also protested against the university's ties to military research, plans to build a private gym in a public Harlem park, and the university's handling of racial tensions.

Protesting against Israel's military operation in Gaza

Columbia University has a long history of student activism, with the Ivy League institution finding itself at the centre of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2024. The protests were sparked by Israel's military operation in Gaza, which has drawn international criticism and led to a wave of student activism across the United States.

The Protests

Pro-Palestinian protesters, many with their faces covered in traditional keffiyeh scarves, gathered outside the famous iron gates of Columbia University's New York City campus. They chanted "Free Palestine", banged drums, and marched in circles. Their presence could be felt several blocks away. Inside the campus, the statue outside the Low Memorial Library was doused with red paint, allegedly by protesters.

The Demands

The protesters called for a ceasefire and demanded that Columbia University disclose its investment portfolio and divest from companies profiting from Israeli military occupation of Palestine. This includes weapons manufacturers and tech companies with ties to or operations in Israel, such as Amazon, Google, and Lockheed Martin.

The Impact

The protests disrupted campus life, with increased security measures and ID checks implemented. The previous academic year concluded with a police raid on a pro-Palestinian encampment, resulting in over 100 arrests and the cancellation of the main graduation ceremony. The university's president, Minouche Shafik, resigned amid criticism of her handling of the protests.

The Response

Critics of the demonstrations, including some Jewish students, have alleged antisemitism. The protesters reject these charges, stating that their issue is with the Israeli state and its institutions. In response to the protests, Columbia's antisemitism task force called for mandatory training for incoming students on antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The Way Forward

With the conflict in Gaza continuing, student protests are likely to persist. University leaders will need to navigate a fine line between upholding free speech rights and maintaining a safe and respectful campus environment.

Protesting against Hillary Clinton teaching at the university

Protesting students at Columbia University have expressed their opposition to Hillary Clinton teaching at the institution. Clinton, a former US Secretary of State, has been teaching a class at the School of International and Public Affairs.

On one occasion, around 30 students walked out of her lecture to “shame" the university for its perceived inaction on preventing the doxxing of students who had signed an anti-Israel statement. The students' photographs, alongside the label "Columbia's Leading Anti-Semites", were displayed on trucks driving near the campus. The images were allegedly taken from a secure online platform for students.

The protesting students demanded "immediate legal support" and a "commitment to student safety, well-being, and privacy". They also joined a larger group of nearly 300 students who staged a peaceful sit-in protest in the lobby of the International Affairs Building.

In addition to the walkout, a group of about 50 pro-Palestinian students gathered outside the campus gates on another day, urging a boycott of classes and accusing the university of being complicit in genocide.

These protests are part of a broader wave of demonstrations across US college campuses related to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the treatment of Palestinians.

Demanding the university disclose its investment portfolio

Columbia University students have been protesting against the institution's investment portfolio, demanding that the university disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel. The protests gained national attention, with students calling for a cease-fire and an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

The protests began in the spring of 2024, with students setting up an encampment on the university lawn and occupying Hamilton Hall, one of the university's buildings. The protesters' main demand was for the university to disclose its investment portfolio and divest from companies profiting from "Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine". This included weapons manufacturers and tech giants such as Amazon and Google.

The university's previous president, Minouche Shafik, faced heavy criticism for her handling of the protests and her decision to bring in the New York Police Department to disperse the crowd, which resulted in over 100 arrests. Shafik resigned in the summer of 2024 amid this backlash.

The protests have continued into the new semester, with smaller pro-Palestinian demonstrations taking place. Students have continued to demand that the university disclose its investments and divest from companies supporting the Israeli state and its military occupation of Palestine. The university's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has implemented stricter protest guidelines, requiring organizers to inform the university of any scheduled protests and prohibiting demonstrations that may pose a threat of harassment or disrupt university operations.

The protests have sparked debates about free speech and the role of college leaders in managing demonstrations. While critics have accused the protesters of antisemitism, the protesters have rejected these charges, stating that their issue is with the Israeli state and its institutions, not Jewish people.

Protesting the university's ties to military research

Columbia University has a long history of student protest, with the Ivy League institution finding itself at the centre of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2024, echoing the anti-war protests of 1968.

In 1968, Columbia students protested the university's ties to military research during the Vietnam War. The university was involved in classified war research and allowed military recruitment on campus. Protesters occupied five campus buildings, including Hamilton Hall and the president's office, holding a dean in his office for 24 hours. Over 700 students were arrested, and the university's leadership called in the police to clear the buildings. This marked the last time Columbia called in police to deal with protesters until 2024, and the university later ended its involvement with classified war research and halted military recruitment on campus.

During the 2023-24 academic year, Columbia University once again became a focal point for pro-Palestinian demonstrations following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Students demanded that the university divest from companies with ties to Israel, including weapons manufacturers and tech giants such as Amazon and Google. Protesters set up an encampment on the university lawn and occupied Hamilton Hall, leading to a large police presence and over 100 arrests. The protests gained national attention and reflected a broader trend of student activism over the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The university's handling of the 2024 protests drew criticism, with former president Minouche Shafik resigning amid accusations of mishandling the situation and not doing enough to protect Jewish students from antisemitism. The protests and their aftermath highlighted ongoing tensions and the need for clear and consistent policies regarding free speech and student expression on college campuses.

Protesting plans to build a private gym in a public Harlem park

Columbia University has a long history of student protest, with the Ivy League institution finding itself at the centre of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in 2024, echoing the anti-war protests of 1968.

In 1968, Columbia students protested against the Vietnam War, the university's ties to military research, and plans to build a private gym in a public Harlem park. The gym was intended to be for the use of the university and would have excluded Black Harlem residents. The project represented Columbia's increasing presence in Harlem, which critics argued was displacing the largely African American residents.

In April 1968, over 700 students occupied five campus buildings, including Hamilton Hall and the president's office, holding the acting dean of Columbia College, Henry Coleman, hostage for over 24 hours. More than 700 students were arrested and faced disciplinary action. The university's president, Grayson Kirk, called in the police to deal with the protesters, a decision that led to his resignation in August of that year.

Following the 1968 protests, Columbia ended its involvement with classified war research, halted military recruitment on campus, and stopped construction on the contested gym in Harlem.

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