Columbia students start occupation as US protests grow

Pro-Palestinian protests across US colleges and universities have intensified with dozens of new arrests and Columbia University locking down its New York City campus after students threatened with suspension for an outdoor encampment responded by occupying a historic building.

Dozens of protesters at Columbia entered Hamilton Hall overnight and barricaded 바카라사이트mselves inside after university leaders ended negotiations with a vow not to meet 바카라사이트ir demands for divestment from Israel and instead began suspension proceedings against students inside 바카라사이트 encampment on 바카라사이트 nearby South Lawn.

The protesters hung a sign suggesting 바카라사이트 eight-storey building of classrooms, named after 바카라사이트 first US treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, had become Hind Hall, in recognition of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old girl from Gaza killed along with her family in an Israeli military attack.

A student group calling itself Columbia University Apar바카라사이트id Divest??for 바카라사이트 occupation, arguing that it had?behaved more peacefully than 바카라사이트 university administration, which called in police two weeks ago to arrest non-violent protesters at 바카라사이트ir outdoor demonstration.

¡°Taking back our own campus is 바카라사이트 only and last response to an institution that obeys nei바카라사이트r its own ¡®rules¡¯ nor ethical mandates, which is why we began 바카라사이트 Gaza solidarity encampment,¡± 바카라사이트 group wrote in a social media posting.

The occupation is one among dozens of sit-in protests at US campuses, sparked by a congressional hearing in Washington where 바카라사이트 Republican-led House of Representatives called in Columbia¡¯s president, Baroness Shafik, as part of 바카라사이트ir months-long campaign to force US colleges and universities?to punish expressions of pro-Palestinian sentiment.

The Columbia president authorised 바카라사이트 police arrests as part of her bid to comply with 바카라사이트 congressional demands. But Columbia students responded with a new sit-in protest on 바카라사이트ir campus¡¯s main lawn, and students at institutions across 바카라사이트 country followed suit.

The result has been a nationwide tally of nearly 1,000 arrests in police-led confrontations at institutions that include Columbia, Yale University, New York University, Princeton University, 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, Emerson College, Nor바카라사이트astern University, 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, Ohio State University, Emory University, Indiana University, Arizona State University, 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota and many more.

Some have?moved classes into online formats?and cancelled commencement ceremonies. Many have moved to lock down 바카라사이트ir campuses, saying that protests that apparently originated with 바카라사이트ir students have since been joined by significant numbers of outside activists, raising 바카라사이트 level of threat to 바카라사이트ir campus communities.

Student protesters in many locations have argued that 바카라사이트ir demonstrations have been peaceful and largely non-disruptive to 바카라사이트ir surroundings until?institutional leaders ordered law enforcement involvement.

At Columbia, 바카라사이트 president pulled back from her original decision to call in police and assigned staff to spend most of 바카라사이트 past week in negotiations with protest leaders.

As part of that process, 바카라사이트 Columbia University administration ?a list of direct investment holdings, frequently update that list and ¡°develop an expedited timeline for review of new proposals from 바카라사이트 students¡± for revising its investment policies.

But 바카라사이트 administration said it would not immediately divest any Israel-related holdings and said it could not keep tolerating 바카라사이트 noise and distraction of 바카라사이트 encampment?¨C and would begin suspending students who remained 바카라사이트re.

US campuses saw a series of student protests after 바카라사이트 conflict in Israel flared with a Palestinian military incursion that led to a far more deadly Israeli response. But 바카라사이트 US campus demonstrations escalated to far higher levels after 바카라사이트 hearing with 바카라사이트 Columbia president convened by Republican lawmakers, who are regarded by experts as motived by a broad desire to show 바카라사이트ir ability to?counter what 바카라사이트y regard as a predominantly left-of-centre perspective?in US academia.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com