War in Gaza: Columbia University in New York threatens to "referral" pro-Palestinian students occupying a building
Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
Columbia University in New York, faced for two weeks with a movement of pro-Palestinian students and activists, threatened on Tuesday April 30 to dismiss those who have occupied a campus building since last night. “We deplore that demonstrators have chosen the path of escalation through their actions (…). The students who occupy the building are putting themselves at risk. [à un risque] referral”wrote in a press release Ben Chang, Columbia spokesperson.
The highly renowned Manhattan University has been the epicenter for two weeks of a national movement on American campuses, on both sides of the United States, in support of the Palestinian cause. After the failure of negotiations on Monday to dismantle a tent encampment occupied by students and pro-Palestinian activists, the Columbia presidency had set in a press release an ultimatum by Monday noon for them to leave.
Faced with the refusal of a few dozen people, the university began Monday evening “to suspend” administratively students. During the night, protesters barricaded themselves in one building, Hamilton Hall, and others surrounded it in a human chain outside. “We said very clearly yesterday that university activity could not be constantly interrupted by demonstrators who violate the rules”thundered the spokesperson in the press release.
“Continuing like this will clearly have consequences”further threatened Columbia’s communications director by accusing the occupants of the building of “vandalism, breaking doors and windows and blocking access”. On Friday, the Columbia presidency had given up on having the New York police evacuate the encampment and had undertaken not to call on the police.
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