Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University’s campus seized control of an academic building in the early hours of Tuesday. This action is part of a larger trend of protests on college campuses across the country in response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
According to The Associated Press, the protestors at the university’s Hamilton Hall barricaded the entrances and displayed a Palestinian flag outside one of the windows.
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Video footage captures the protesters, who seem to have renamed the building, joining hands to block the doors and bringing furniture and metal barricades into the hall. According to the AP, this very building was previously occupied during a civil rights and anti-Vietnam War protest in 1968.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, CU Apartheid Divest, a coalition of pro-Palestinian student organizations at the university, announced that Hind’s Hall, formerly known as ‘Hamilton Hall,’ has been reclaimed by an autonomous group. The hall was renamed in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Gazan martyr who was tragically murdered by the genocidal Israeli state.
The statement asserts that this escalation marks a new chapter in the lineage of student movements that were suppressed by Columbia in the past but are now celebrated. The protestors have made it clear that they will not leave Hind’s Hall until Columbia agrees to the three demands put forth by CUAD: divestment, financial transparency, and amnesty.
According to Ben Chang, a spokesperson for Columbia, the protesters took control of the hall early in the morning. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of every member of the community.
In response to the ongoing protests, we have taken immediate action to inform our campus community. We have advised individuals who are able to avoid visiting the Morningside campus to do so. However, essential personnel should adhere to university policy and report to work as scheduled. To ensure safety, access to the campus has been restricted to students residing in on-campus housing and employees who are essential for maintaining campus buildings, laboratories, and residential student life.
According to the AP, more than 1,000 individuals have been apprehended on campuses as the academic year draws to a close. The demonstrations have not only spread across the United States but have also reached Canada and Europe, as reported by The Canadian Press. Nevertheless, certain Jewish students have expressed concerns about their safety due to these protests.
Khymani James, an organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at the school, expressed in a video that has resurfaced from earlier this year that people should appreciate the fact that he is not resorting to violence against Zionists.
James issued an apology on Friday for his resurfaced remarks, admitting that they were indeed a mistake. However, the White House strongly condemned his previous comments, deeming them as appalling.
“These statements are absolutely horrifying and should be a wake-up call for everyone. Advocating for the murder of Jews is absolutely abhorrent,” expressed White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates in a statement.
According to the spokesperson, President Biden firmly opposes violent rhetoric, hate speech, and Antisemitic remarks in America. He is committed to taking a stand against such harmful expressions.
