Deadline passes for Columbia protesters to clear encampment

NEW YORK -- Columbia University's deadline for pro-Palestinian protesters to clear their nearly two-week-old encampment passed astatine 2 p.m. Monday. Students who refused to time off by past would look suspension, nan assemblage said. 

Many of nan tents remained and a ample group of students appeared to commencement marching astir nan perimeter of nan encampment erstwhile nan deadline struck.

Columbia officials said nan student protesters besides needed to place themselves and promise to travel assemblage policies done adjacent schoolhouse twelvemonth successful bid to decorativeness this semester successful bully standing, according to a missive they received.

Before announcing nan deadline, Columbia said it would not divest from Israel and that negotiations pinch nan students collapsed down. 

"Since Wednesday, a mini group of world leaders has been successful constructive speech pinch student organizers to find a way that would consequence successful nan dismantling of nan encampment and adherence to University policies going forward. Regretfully, we were not capable to travel to an agreement," Columbia University President Dr. Minouche Shafik wrote successful a caller connection Monday. 

The president went connected to opportunity some sides "worked successful bully religion to scope communal ground," adding, "we convey them each for their diligent work, agelong hours, and observant effort and wish they had reached a different outcome."

The protesters were asked to region their encampment and travel assemblage rules moving forward, including applying pinch two-days' announcement to show successful authorized locations. 

"We impulse those successful nan encampment to voluntarily disperse. We are consulting pinch a broader group successful our organization to research replacement soul options to extremity this situation arsenic soon arsenic possible," Shafik wrote.

Over nan weekend, schoolhouse officials said location was no truth down claims of an impending lockdown or evictions. Mayor Eric Adams reiterated nan NYPD will only respond if nan schoolhouse calls constabulary onto campus.  

"Once that petition is made, you want to do it pinch nan minimum magnitude of force, because you are talking astir young group and you're not trying to successful immoderate measurement jeopardize their safety," Adams said. 

Columbia says it will not divest. What it offered instead.

Among their demands, nan student protesters called connected Columbia to divest from companies that do business pinch Israel, which nan assemblage says it will not do.

President Shafik's wrote successful her connection nan schoolhouse will not divest, but it offered to "develop an expedited timeline" for its Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing to reappraisal students' divestment proposals. It besides offered to stock accusation astir really to entree a database of nan school's nonstop finance holdings, pinch much predominant updates. 

"Additionally, nan University offered to convene a module committee to reside world state and to statesman a chat connected entree and financial barriers to world programs and world centers. The University besides offered to make investments successful wellness and acquisition successful Gaza, including supporting early puerility improvement and support for displaced scholars," her connection continued. "There are important ideas that emerged from this dialogue, and we scheme to research pursuing them successful nan future."

Columbia students record class-action lawsuit

A group of students revenge a class-action suit Monday against nan university, saying it needs to prohibition students and "outside agitators" who are inciting violence. 

Meanwhile, a group of Democrats successful Congress told Columbia's Board of Trustees to return action, saying nan encampment violates national law. 

The group, led by New York Rep. Dan Goldman and New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, sent a letter, reference successful part, "For nan past fewer weeks, this encampment has been nan breeding crushed for antisemitic attacks connected Jewish students," adding that fearfulness has prevented galore from safely attending people aliases leaving their dorm rooms, which nan lawmakers opportunity violates Title 5 of nan Civil Rights Act. 

"We will so clasp a commencement"

Despite nan ongoing tensions connected campus, graduation will beryllium held arsenic planned connected May 15, nan president said successful her statement. The encampment presently sits correct beside nan school's commencement site. 

"We besides do not want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration. Please callback that galore successful this graduating people did not get a ceremony erstwhile graduating from precocious schoolhouse because of nan pandemic, and galore of them are nan first successful their families to gain a University degree," nan president wrote successful her statement. "We beryllium it to each of our graduates and their loved ones to grant their achievement. We want to reassure our organization who are trying to make plans that we will so clasp a Commencement."

Monday is nan past time of classes connected campus, and students will walk nan remainder of nan week studying for their last exams, which commencement Friday. The assemblage antecedently announced nan exams must see a distant action for those who person requested support.

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