Columbia suspends pro-Palestinian protesters after encampment talks stall

30/4/2024 12:17

        Columbia University on Monday began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to disband an encampment of tents on its New York campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest.
        
        University President Nemat Minouche Shafik said in a statement that days of negotiations between student organizers and academic leaders had failed to persuade demonstrators to dismantle the dozens of tents they set up to express opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
        
        The university sent protesters a letter on Monday morning warning that students who did not vacate the encampment by 2 p.m. ET and sign a form acknowledging their participation would face suspension and become ineligible to complete the semester in good standing.
        
        In her earlier statement, Shafik said Columbia would not divest assets that support Israel's military, a key demand of the protesters. Instead, she offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and to make Columbia's direct investment holdings more transparent.