(NewsNation) — Columbia University said Wednesday that it is continuing to be in discussions with student protestors taking part in a Gaza Solidarity Encampment on campus, although demonstrators said administration officials have not been bargaining “in good faith.”
Students at Columbia set up the tent encampments to demand the school divest from companies that they say “profit from Israeli apartheid,” and in protest of Israel’s military action in Gaza that has killed over 34,000 Palestinians.
Over 100 people were arrested at Columbia last Thursday, leading to other protests popping up at colleges nationwide that have also seen more arrests and suspensions of students.
On Tuesday, Columbia said most classes will be held in a hybrid manner for the rest of the spring semester, and it upped security amid the demonstrations, NewsNation local affiliate PIX11 wrote. The campus locked its gate to anyone without a school ID.
After a midnight deadline set by the university to disband the protest was not met on Tuesday, the president of Columbia, Minouche Shafik, sent out an email saying she fully supports the importance of free speech, but the encampment has created a “tense and at times hostile environment.”
“It is essential we move forward to dismantle it,” Shafik said.
Student protestors committed to “dismantling and removing a significant number of tents,” the university said, with the Associated Press reporting that a smaller encampment remained on campus as of Wednesday morning.
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said in a statement late Tuesday night, though, that Columbia threatened to call both the National Guard and New York Police Department if they did not “acquiesce to their demands.”
“We remain steadfast in our convictions and will not be intimidated by the university’s disturbing threat of an escalation of violence,” Columbia SJP wrote. “Since good faith negotiations are impossible if one side threatens use of force to extract concessions, the student negotiating team has left the table and refuses to return until there is a written commitment that the administration will not be unleashing the NYPD or the National Guard on its students.”
Several lawmakers have criticized Shafik over her handling of the protests and urged her to take stronger action to rein them in. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is scheduled to be at Columbia University Wednesday to give some remarks.
Columbia said at about 3 a.m. Wednesday there was “constructive dialogue” and it aims to continue conversations for about 48 hours.
Campus protests start debates
The demonstrations at Columbia and elsewhere have sparked debate, criticism and support, with some saying that the recent arrests and suspensions of student protestors are a violation of their First Amendment Rights.
The New York Civil Liberties Union cautioned universities against being too quick to call in law enforcement in a statement Tuesday.
“Officials should not conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism or use hate incidents as a pretext to silence political views they oppose,” said Donna Lieberman, the group’s executive director.
Some students, though, say they are concerned that some criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism.
Protesters have said, though, that those being antisemitic do not represent them and pointed out that many Jewish students are joining them in their cause. In addition, Jewish protestors at Columbia said at a news conference Tuesday that they have faced antisemitism themselves because of their support for Palestine. Palestinian students, they added, have also not felt safe on campus in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams blamed what he called “outside agitators” at protests for division on campuses.
City officials identified individuals who don’t attend universities at protests happening on campus, Adams said, with a number of non-students using them to “cause violence in our city.”
Encampments on other campus
Miles away, at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, students used furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block a building’s entrances Monday evening. University officials decided to close its campus through Wednesday.
At Brown University in Rhode Island, an encampment was made by about 90 students shortly after 6 a.m., NewsNation local affiliate WRPI wrote.
“Encampment on Brown University’s historic and residential greens is a violation of University policy, and all of the students participating have been informed they will face conduct proceedings,” Brown University said in a statement. “This policy is years old, established in October 2011, and not new. Protest is an acceptable means of expression at Brown, but it becomes unacceptable when it violates University policies that are intended to ensure the safety of members of the Brown community and that there is no interference in the rights of others to engage in the regular operations of the university.”
A university spokesperson noted, though, that they have not seen any “violence, harassment (or) intimidation” at Brown stemming from protests.
Minnesotan Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar attended a protest late Tuesday at the University of Minnesota, following the arrest of nine protesters after police took down an encampment in front of the library.
Hundreds had rallied in the afternoon to demand their release.
“I am incredibly moved by your courage and bravery as a student body in putting your bodies on the line to stand in solidarity to end the genocide taking place in Gaza,” Omar told those gathered, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story is developing.