US Campuses Begin Suspension of Pro-Palestinian Protesting Students

The students will remain camped on the grounds until the campus agrees to their three demands.

AFP/GETTY IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/JEENAH MOON

Students demonstrate pro-Palestine outside the Columbia University campus, Tuesday (23/4/2024), in New York, United States.

NEW YORK, TUESDAY — Negotiations between pro-Palestinian student protesters and administrators at Columbia University in the United States have reached an impasse. The campus decided to start suspending students involved in the demonstration.

The university has set a deadline for Monday (29/4/2024) at 2:00 pm local time or early Tuesday (30/4/2024) morning Indonesian time to dismantle the encampment on the campus where they have been protesting. However, until the deadline, hundreds of students are still holding out. "We have started to suspend students as a further step in our efforts to ensure safety on campus," said Ben Chang, spokesperson for Columbia University.

He did not indicate the number of students who will be suspended. Chang also did not say how the suspension mechanism will be carried out or whether the suspended students will be expelled from the campus.

Chang stated that the campus respects the right to free speech of students. However, he called the protester's campsite a "very loud disturbance" that interferes with learning activities and final exam preparations. "The camp also creates an unsafe environment for Jewish students," he said.

Also read: Pro-Palestinian Student Movement at Columbia University Spreads to Melbourne

AFP/GETTY IMAGES/DAVID DEE DALGAGO

Students staged a demonstration by setting up a camp to support Palestine at Columbia University campus on Monday (22/4/2024), in New York City, United States.

Previously, in a statement, Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik mentioned that for days negotiations between the organizers of the protest and academic leaders failed to disperse the encampment. The students declared that they would continue to camp on the campus grounds until the university agreed to their three demands, namely the cessation of financial ties with Israel, financial transparency of the university, and amnesty for students who were punished for participating in the protest.

Shafik stated that Columbia University will not sever financial ties with Israel. However, he offers the possibility for investment in the health and education sectors in Gaza, as well as making campus investments more transparent.

We began suspending students as a continuation of our efforts to ensure safety on campus.

Despite the students still persevering past the deadline, the campus management did not call the police. In addition to setting a deadline, the campus also stated that if the students were willing to sign a commitment form to comply with the university's policies until June 2025, they could successfully complete this semester's lectures.

An ultimatum was issued by the university prior to the graduation ceremony. "We ask that you dismantle the encampment so that we do not obstruct the valuable moment for fellow students, families, and friends," said the contents of the letter from Columbia University to the students.

MEREDITH SEAVER/COLLEGE STATION EAGLE VIA AP

Pro-Palestine student protesters gathered in front of the Texas A&M Academic Building in College Station on April 29, 2024, in Texas, United States.

Campuses in the United States are soon ending this semester's lectures and preparing for graduation ceremonies. The University of Southern California in Los Angeles has canceled its graduation ceremony. Previously, the graduation speech by Asna Tabassum, a Muslim student, was canceled because of her pro-Palestine views. The campus ultimately announced the cancellation of all graduation ceremonies on May 10th, 2024.

Although graduation is just around the corner, protesters on several campuses continue to persist, including at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and so on. Yale protesters even set up a new camp on Sunday, a week after police arrested nearly 50 protesters. Campus authorities have warned that the students could face punishment, including suspension, and the possibility of imprisonment if they continue to camp.

Also read: Facing Official Brutality, Student Protests in the US Are Increasingly Fiery

In a statement on Monday, Yale stated that they support peaceful protests and freedom of speech. However, they do not tolerate policy violations, including setting up tents. Campus officials stated that the encampment was located near a student dormitory where they were preparing for final exams.

On the other hand, Northwestern University has reached an agreement with protesting students and faculty near Chicago campus. The campus allows for peaceful demonstrations until the end of the spring semester classes on June 1, 2024. All tents must be dismantled, except for the ones for aid. The campus also limits the demonstration area to only students, faculty, and staff.

MIKE KROPF/RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH VIA AP

Police officers hold shields during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Virginia Commonwealth University, USA, April 29, 2024.

At Brown University campus in Rhode Island, University President Christina H Paxton offered protest leaders to meet with campus officials to discuss the financial disengagement from a company related to Israel, as a substitute for dismantling the tent.

As of Monday, student protests in various campuses in the US are still ongoing, and even getting heated. At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), two opposing groups of students clashed over the weekend. On Monday, pro-Israel activists set up a large screen and loudspeakers to show clips of Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. UCLA has also increased security around the pro-Palestinian student camp.

Also read: US Officials Arrest Students Opposing the Gaza War

At the University of Texas, Austin, protests and arrests occurred once again on Monday. Campus security officers, supported by the police, tried to disperse a large gathering of students who were protesting using pepper spray. At least 43 people were arrested.

Meanwhile, at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, student protesters clashed with the police after authorities forced the camp to disband at night. As for Virginia Tech campus, at least 91 protesters were detained on Sunday night local time at the student camp. (AP/Reuters)