3 weeks ago
New York City's rule enforcement leaders delivered an update Wednesday morning, hours aft sweeping done nan historical Hamilton Hall astatine Columbia University and clearing retired a group of anti-Israel agitators who had "occupied" nan building arsenic portion of their ongoing demonstrations.
Police yet stormed nan building aft schoolhouse administrators many times retreated from enforcing deadlines demanding nan groups dismantle their field encampment complete nan past 2 weeks. Columbia University officials yet threatened nan group pinch expulsion aft students smashed their measurement into nan school's Hamilton Hall and "occupied" nan building.
"Students occupying nan building look expulsion," schoolhouse spokesperson Ben Chang declared successful bold letters successful a connection Tuesday afternoon.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LOCKS DOWN CAMPUS BUILDING FOLLOWING OVERNIGHT MUTINTY: ‘EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY’
Anti-Israel agitators barricade themselves wrong Hamilton Hall, an world building which has been occupied successful past student movements, connected April 30, 2024 successful New York City. Demonstrators marched arsenic a 2 p.m. deadline to clear nan encampment fixed to students by nan assemblage came and went. The students were fixed a suspension informing if they did not meet nan deadline. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
The blunt informing came astir 12 hours aft photos showed a mob of masked and keffiyah-clad demonstrators collapsed into nan building, barricaded nan doors and took it over.
Protesters person chosen to escalate to an untenable situation – vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances – and we are pursuing done pinch nan consequences we outlined yesterday.
— Columbia University spokesperson Ben Chang"The activity of nan University cannot beryllium endlessly interrupted by protesters who break nan rules," Chang said.
"Continuing to do truthful will beryllium met pinch clear consequences. Protesters person chosen to escalate to an untenable situation – vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances – and we are pursuing done pinch nan consequences we outlined yesterday."
COLUMBIA STUDENT DESCRIBES CAMPUS FEAR, ANTI-ISRAEL SIGNS SUPPORTING TERRORISTS WHO ‘PUT BABIES IN AN OVEN’
Students astatine Columbia University collapsed into Hamilton Hall connected Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Getty Images/Alex Kent)
Outside nan occupied building, a group of like-minded activists linked arms and demanded nan assemblage crook to their requests that it divest from Israel-related companies and committedness not to punish students progressive successful nan demonstrations.
Critics person wide condemned nan arguable encampments, which person cropped up astatine Columbia and different awesome university campuses, arsenic an antisemitic show that threatens nan information of their Jewish classmates.
SPEAKER JOHNSON CALLS OUT CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM AS COLUMBIA'S ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS SHOUT AT, HECKLE HIM
New York Police Department officers participate nan Columbia University building and detain anti-Israel demonstrators arsenic they had barricaded themselves to iconic Hamilton Hall building successful New York, United States connected April 30, 2024. The building was cleared of occupiers astir 2 hours aft nan cognition began, and complete 100 group were taken into custody, according to aggregate reports. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The schoolhouse said it had already begun issuing suspensions and that seniors singled retired for that reward won't postgraduate connected time.
"This is astir responding to nan actions of nan protesters, not their cause," Chang said. "As we said yesterday, disruptions connected field person created a threatening situation for galore of our Jewish students and module and a noisy distraction that interferes pinch teaching, learning, and preparing for last exams, and contributes to a dispute situation successful usurpation of Title VI."
A position of surgery model of nan entranceway doorway of nan Hamilton Hall. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Earlier Tuesday, assemblage officials declared a lockdown arsenic a consequence of nan Hamilton Hall break-in.
The NYPD later revealed video grounds that "professional" protesters were connected segment egging connected nan students.
Supporters of Students for Justice successful Palestine, aliases SJP, 1 of nan groups organizing nan nationalist anti-Israel demonstrations, insist they are carrying retired serene protests.
Columbia University president, Nemat Shafik, leaves nan Low Memorial Library connected nan field of Columbia University, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The embattled president, who's nether unit to resign her station reportedly met pinch Speaker of nan United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson earlier his reside astatine nan assemblage earlier. (Fox News Digital)
However, Jewish students astatine Columbia and elsewhere show Fox News Digital they are facing harassment, favoritism and beingness threats.
COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY SUES SCHOOL
One student, who asked to beryllium identified only pinch his first name, Josh, owed to fears for his safety, told Fox News Digital that he could perceive nan protesters chanting anti-Israel slogans and beating drums good into nan night.
A masked demonstrator stands defender astatine a locked gross connected Columbia's West Lawn, wherever dozens of students person group up tents arsenic they request nan assemblage return a number of anti-Israel measures amid a conflict betwixt nan country's subject and Hamas terrorists who attacked connected Oct. 7, 2023. (Micheal Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
"The scariest point I want to stress is that we’ve had nary thought who has been successful these camps," he said. "I’ve watched, while stepping location astatine night, group climbing complete nan fence, smuggling worldly successful done broadside doors." He said immoderate of nan group he saw resembled a student he believed had been suspended successful relationship pinch nan demonstrations.
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS AT COLUMBIA ISSUE DEFIANT ULTIMATUM
He besides played cellphone video taken complete nan play showing a group of anti-Israel agitators calling a brace of Jewish students "Zionists" and surrounding them because they were wearing Star of David necklaces.
Multiple group who said they were authorized to speak connected behalf of nan Columbia encampment declined to speak pinch Fox News Digital.
Anti-Israel agitators relax wrong an encampment group up connected nan West Lawn astatine Columbia University successful New York City connected April 25, 2024. A group of extremist demonstrators collapsed into nan school's Hamilton Hall early Tuesday and barricaded themselves inside. (Micheal Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
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"I've had a friend who was beaten up," said Itai Driefuss, a third-year Columbia undergrad and Israeli subject seasoned from Tel Aviv. "It's scary. It's violent."
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a astonishment onslaught that killed much than 1,200 Israelis and saw much than 200 kidnapped and held hostage. Israel's subject consequence is still underway, and has killed thousands.
Earlier this month, different Israeli subject seasoned who attends Columbia revenge a suit accusing nan schoolhouse of harshly punishing him for utilizing "fart spray" connected anti-Israel activists while turning a unsighted oculus to their antisemitic rhetoric.
Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
