Columbia protesters take over building demonstrators occupied in 1968 protests

NEW YORK -- Protesters connected Columbia University's field occupied Hamilton Hall early Tuesday -- nan aforesaid building demonstrators took complete during anti-Vietnam War protests successful 1968.

Addressing a crowd successful beforehand of nan building, 1 protester said, "We request that Columbia divest each of its finances including nan endowment from companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and business successful Palestine. … We will not extremity until each azygous 1 of our demands are meant, until each azygous inch of Palestine is free."

A group representing nan demonstrators issued a news merchandise pronunciation retired their demands.

The New York Police Department said it has officers extracurricular nan campus. Sean Herbert, a CBS News producer, said he saw a mini contingent of officers astatine 1 spot and further officers astatine another.

CBS News has reached retired to nan schoolhouse and its constabulary unit for remark astir nan takeover.

The protesters unfurled a ample banner from a Hamilton Hall model saying "Free Palestine" — arsenic seen successful nan image beneath taken from a video changeable by Herbert:

Banner that protesters unfurled extracurricular nan occupied Hamilton Hall connected Columbia University's field early connected April 30, 2024. CBS News

They besides unfurled a banner renaming it Hind's Hall, aft Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian killed successful Gaza 3 months ago.

Earlier, demonstrators said they'd group up a 2nd encampment connected campus.

Columbia started suspending students Monday who refused to time off nan protestation encampment by nan school-imposed 2 p.m. deadline.

But arsenic time turned into nighttime and Tuesday quickly approached, astir of nan students that said to CBS New York said they weren't going anywhere.

It was unclear whether nan schoolhouse would will inquire nan NYPD to clear nan encampment. Columbia is backstage property, truthful constabulary cannot participate without being requested to by nan administration.

Hundreds of students marched and rallied connected field earlier successful nan time successful support of their classmates, who person been camped retired connected nan section for astir 2 weeks successful support of Palestinians.

After negotiating pinch protesters for respective days, nan Columbia management announced nan sides were not capable to travel to an agreement. Columbia said it will not divest from Israel but did connection to reappraisal student proposals and found much transparency for nan school's finance holdings.

That, however, was not capable for nan pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

As nan deadline came and went, immoderate module locked arms to protect nan encampment, including Reinhold Martin, an architectural history professor.

"To take sides their correct to speak politically and peacefully," Martin said.

All of that happened connected nan aforesaid time immoderate students revenge a national people action suit against Columbia, arguing it has grounded to protect them against antisemitism and harassment, violating its ain policies.

"If they tin enforce their procedures and reconstruct field to immoderate consciousness of normalcy, past nan suit will spell away," lawyer Jay Edelson said.

Students who stay consequence not ending semester successful bully opinionated  

The Columbia management circulated a missive to students connected Monday telling protesters if they had voluntarily near nan encampment by 2 p.m. and signed a shape committing to abide by assemblage policies, they would beryllium eligible to complete nan semester successful bully standing.

If not, they would beryllium suspended indefinitely, barred from completing this semester, not allowed to postgraduate if seniors, and banned from field and residential housing.

"This activity has sparked nationwide world movement, anti-war activity crossed U.S. colleges and universities, nationalist universities. So we already achieved a batch by conscionable starting this encampment and we will stay present until each U.S. universities, particularly Columbia, will divest," student protestation negotiator Mahmoud Khalil said. "The students made it clear they're consenting to enactment present arsenic agelong arsenic needed to execute their demands."

"They're opinionated up for what is correct and I'm opinionated up for them," student Michael Ostuno said of his support for nan pro-Palestinian cause. 

"I americium happy Columbia is taking a stance to protect its Jewish and Israeli student assemblage who person been fearful these past fewer weeks," 1 student said.

One student said he came to field for nan past time of classes contempt having a virtual option.

"To show I'm not acrophobic and increasing up successful Israel a large recurring taxable was 'never again' and I don't deliberation Jews should beryllium intimidated," nan student said.

Graduation is scheduled for May 15 connected nan aforesaid section wherever nan encampment is.

Encampment group up astatine Rutgers University

Students astatine Rutgers University group up an encampment astatine nan New Brunswick field connected Monday aft first holding a rally and past marching to nan location.

They're trying to get nan attraction of nan university's Board of Governors and nan Joint Committee connected Investments aft they felt their petition for nan schoolhouse to divest from Israel was ignored astatine a gathering connected Thursday.

Earlier this month, much than 6,000 students voted successful favour of a referendum calling connected assemblage administrators to retreat investments successful Israel and cancel nan school's business pinch Tel Aviv University. More than 1,500 voted against nan idea.

There are 44,000 students enrolled successful New Brunswick. Those who said to CBS New York astatine Monday's rally declined to spell connected camera.

"I'm present to support our students, each of them, and to spot what our students are going with, what they consciousness passionate about, and also, I judge successful nan cause, nan thought of divesting being an important portion to move our assemblage toward a much civilized position," said Kaiser Aslam, Muslim chaplain of nan Rutgers Center for Islamic Life.

"I americium Jewish and successful position of antisemitism astatine these rallies, I person ne'er felt arsenic safe anyplace arsenic I do astatine these rallies. I person ne'er felt arsenic embraced arsenic I do astatine these rallies," said Ellen Rosner, a section resident. 

Rutgers says nan petition is nether reappraisal and that nan school's president, who has nary nonstop domiciled successful nan finance process, has made clear his individual guidance to nan boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, and his support for nan narration pinch Tel Aviv University.

On Monday's rally he said, successful part, "Our students want to make a quality successful a struggle that has costs acold excessively galore guiltless lives and that threatens truthful galore more. I respect their correct to protestation successful ways that do not interfere pinch assemblage operations aliases pinch nan expertise of their chap students to learn."

In:
• Hamas
• Israel
• Protests
• Columbia University
• Palestinians