1 month ago
Columbia University extends deadline for negotiations pinch pro-Palestinian demonstrators
NEW YORK -- Columbia University will proceed to clasp talks pinch pro-Palestinian protesters aft extending nan deadline to dismantle their encampment connected nan school's main section successful Manhattan.
University President Dr. Minouche Shafik issued a connection Tuesday saying she and different schoolhouse leaders were speaking pinch students to scope an agreement. A assemblage spokesperson confirmed overnight nan conversations will proceed for nan adjacent 48 hours.
If nan speech is unsuccessful, nan schoolhouse will see replacement options for clearing retired nan section and restoring calm connected campus truthful students tin complete nan remainder of their semester.
Over nan course of nan eight-day protest, nan demonstrators person demanded Columbia divest from Israel.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams applauded nan information efforts connected field Tuesday, but said students who are peacefully protesting are not nan problem.
"We can't person extracurricular agitators travel successful and beryllium disruptive to our city," Adams said successful a briefing.
"I understand really important this is. Young people, successful particular, are energized successful their beliefs. But we person to person a respectful discourse," said Hochul. "This has gone excessively far."
Overnight, NYPD officers successful riot cogwheel cleared retired a group of astir 100 protesters conscionable extracurricular campus. They were chanting, waving flags and holding signs successful solidarity pinch students.
House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to sojourn nan assemblage Wednesday to meet pinch Jewish students and clasp a property convention about antisemitism connected assemblage campuses.
Columbia successful talks pinch students
In her latest message to students and staff, Shafik wrote it is clip to dismantle nan pro-Palestinian encampment that popped up a week agone connected nan university's West Lawn. Protesters took complete nan section successful tents pursuing Shafik's arguable grounds earlier Congress.
"The encampment raises superior information concerns, disrupts field life, and has created a tense and astatine times dispute situation for galore members of our community," she wrote. "It is basal that we move guardant pinch a scheme to dismantle it."
Shafik said student organizers person been gathering pinch a mini group of faculty, administrators and University Senators to "discuss nan ground for dismantling nan encampment, dispersing, and pursuing assemblage policies going forward." They were initially fixed until midnight Wednesday to travel to an accord, but nan deadline was later pushed back.
A assemblage spokesperson confirmed early Wednesday nan schoolhouse was "making important progress" and "in ray of this constructive dialogue, nan assemblage will proceed conversations for nan adjacent 48 hours."
The spokesperson said students "have committed to dismantling and removing a important number of tents" and said they would "ensure that those not affiliated pinch Columbia will leave. Only Columbia University students will beryllium participating successful nan protest."
"Student protestors person taken steps to make nan encampment invited to each and person prohibited discriminatory aliases harassing language," nan spokesperson added.
Due to information concerns, each classes connected nan school's Morningside field are offering a hybrid action for nan remainder of nan semester, which ends Monday. Commencement is scheduled for May 15.
- In:
- Manhattan
- Israel
- Columbia University
- Morningside Heights
Elijah Westbrook
Elijah Westbrook is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. He joined CBS2 News and CBS News New York successful January 2022.
