In front of the 116th Street entrance, dozens of people have gathered to support Columbia students inside the fence. Among them, New York Police Department officers are ready to intervene when the ultimatum given by the Columbia University administration to vacate the campus lawn strikes. But the students who have pitched tents do not seem intent on leaving.
After days of “negotiations”, the administration sent a letter at 10 am on Monday morning asking demonstrators to leave the encampment by 2 pm today or face suspension. The pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters must also sign a form and commit to abide by university policies through June 2025 to finish the semester in good standing. Otherwise, they will be suspended, the letter says. “We urge you to remove the encampment so that we do not deprive your fellow students, their families, and friends of this momentous occasion,” the administration continues referring to the upcoming graduation season.
But the demonstrators seem not to leave the campus. Instead, they keep asking for a ceasefire in Gaza. They request the University to divest its support to Israeli companies and any other academic activities and stop Columbia’s program in Tel Aviv.
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