Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Occupy Columbia University’s Main Library

[ad_1] Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators flooded into the principle library on Columbia College’s campus on Wednesday afternoon and occupied a part of the constructing, in an try and rekindle the protest motion that swept campus final spring.

The protesters, sporting masks and kaffiyehs, hung banners within the hovering fundamental room of Butler Library’s second flooring, renaming the area “the Basel Al-Araj Common College,” in accordance with the demonstrators and witnesses on the library.

Columbia College Apartheid Divest, a protest motion on campus, mentioned in a Substack submit that it had occupied the constructing to “present that so long as Columbia funds and earnings from imperialist violence, the folks will proceed to disrupt Columbia’s earnings and legitimacy.”

The protest comes because the Trump administration has been cracking down on Columbia over what it calls its failure to guard Jewish college students from harassment, slicing greater than $400 million in federal analysis funding to the varsity. The college has been beneath huge strain to stem disruptive pro-Palestinian protests, significantly those who name for an finish to the state of Israel.

It was not clear whether or not the protest could be a short demonstration or a prolonged occupation of the library. The protests at Columbia final spring got here to a head when college students and others entered Hamilton Corridor, a campus constructing, in late April, main the varsity’s president on the time to name within the police about 24 hours into the occupation.

On Wednesday, the demonstrators pushed previous a library safety guard shortly after 3 p.m., carrying tote luggage and backpacks, earlier than heading up the steps to the principle studying room, video posted on social media confirmed. After chanting pro-Palestinian slogans for about an hour, a number of the protesters tried to depart however had been prevented by a row of Columbia public security officers.

A college spokeswoman mentioned that the disruption was restricted to a single studying room. Demonstrators had been being requested for identification earlier than they might be permitted to disperse, an announcement from Columbia mentioned. The assertion added that the protesters would face penalties.

“It's utterly unacceptable that some people are selecting to disrupt educational actions as our college students are finding out and getting ready for ultimate exams,” the assertion mentioned.

Public safety officers evacuated college students from the library, which was stuffed with folks finding out. A Police Division spokesman mentioned that about 60 folks had been concerned within the protest as of 4 p.m.