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'Get out, or you're suspended': Columbia University finally gives Gaza protesters deadline after failing to 'meet agreement' after days of negotiations

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Columbia University has warned student Gaza protesters to disperse or face suspension as their encampment rages on for a fourteenth day. 

The college has asked demonstrators to sign a document agreeing to 'voluntarily leave by 2pm' Monday - or be evicted from the camp and suspended from the Ivy League. 

It comes after President Minouche Shafik issued a statement saying many Jewish students have been forced out of the campus because of the 'intolerable' atmosphere created by the demonstration which has now reached 'crisis' levels. 

Shafik faces growing pressure to resign over her failure to contain the controversial camp, including from prominent Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson who condemned the protests during a speech beside the encampment last week.  

Several Democrats have now echoed calls for senior leadership to get a grip on the situation. Twelve House members penned a damning letter to trustees over the weekend saying the demo had become 'a breeding ground for antisemitic attacks'. 

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is begging pro-Palestine protesters to 'voluntarily disperse' as their sprawling encampment enters a second week

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is begging pro-Palestine protesters to 'voluntarily disperse' as their sprawling encampment enters a second week

It comes as Shafik faces growing pressure to resign over her failure to control the demonstrations from prominent Republicans and Democrats alike

It comes as Shafik faces growing pressure to resign over her failure to control the demonstrations from prominent Republicans and Democrats alike

Demonstrators face off with NYPD officials outside the main entrance of Columbia University

Demonstrators face off with NYPD officials outside the main entrance of Columbia University

Shafik said Monday that negotiators had tried to secure 'the orderly removal of the encampment' from Columbia's lawns on the Upper West Side. 'Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement,' she said.

'Our values—as well as our duties under civil rights laws—compel us to condemn hate and to protect every member of our community from harassment and discrimination,' Shafik's statement reads. 

'Antisemitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent.

'I know that many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy.'

The college has offered 'to publish a process for students to access a list of Columbia’s direct investment holdings, and to increase the frequency of updates to that list of holdings' in response for calls for greater financial transparency.

But Shafik stopped short of giving the demonstrators what they wanted - saying the university 'will not divest from Israel'. 

'All year, we have sought to facilitate opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in constructive dialogue, and we have provided ample space for protests and vigils to take place peacefully and without disruptions to academic life,' she said. 

'But we must take into account the rights of all members of our community. The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty. 

'External actors have contributed to creating a hostile environment in violation of Title VI, especially around our gates, that is unsafe for everyone—including our neighbors. 

'With classes now concluding, it represents a noisy distraction for our students studying for exams and for everyone trying to complete the academic year.'

The college has asked demonstrators to sign a document agreeing to 'voluntarily leave by 2pm' Monday - or be evicted from the camp and suspended from the Ivy League

The college has asked demonstrators to sign a document agreeing to 'voluntarily leave by 2pm' Monday - or be evicted from the camp and suspended from the Ivy League

Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson visits Columbia University

Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson visits Columbia University

President Minouche Shafik issued a statement saying many Jewish students have been forced out of the campus because of the 'intolerable' atmosphere created by the demonstration which has now reached 'crisis' levels

President Minouche Shafik issued a statement saying many Jewish students have been forced out of the campus because of the 'intolerable' atmosphere created by the demonstration which has now reached 'crisis' levels

Students at Columbia University paint a response to a message written by Palestinians in Rafah thanking students for their support as they continue to maintain a protest encampment on campus in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., April 28, 2024

Students at Columbia University paint a response to a message written by Palestinians in Rafah thanking students for their support as they continue to maintain a protest encampment on campus in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., April 28, 2024

Pro-Palestine supporters gather in front of the entrance of Columbia University on April 28, 2024 in New York City

Pro-Palestine supporters gather in front of the entrance of Columbia University on April 28, 2024 in New York City

Last week, Columbia cowed to protesters by letting protesters remain despite issuing a midnight deadline for dispersal on Thursday. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said during a speech on the library steps beside the encampment in the days before that Shafik should resign.

Meanwhile, a group in the House Democrats have urged the Columbia University board to 'act decisively' by ending the encampment - or step down. 

Twenty-one Democrat representatives including Josh Gottheimer and Dan Goldman signed a letter to the trustees urging them to disband the protest, which has been a hotbed for antisemitic displays. 

'We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus,' the letter reads. 

'As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

'For the past week, this encampment has been the breeding ground for antisemitic attacks on Jewish students, including hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and even threats of violence. 

'Last weekend, a student held up a sign pointing to pro-Israel students that said “Al-Qa[ss]am’s next targets,” referring to the military arm of Hamas, the foreign terrorist organization responsible for the atrocities of October 7, and for holding hostage innocent civilians – including Americans – in brutal captivity for nearly seven months.

'One of the protest leaders has previously declared, “Zionists — they are Nazis. They’re Nazis. They’re fascists. They’re supporters of genocide. 

'Why would we want people who are supporters of genocide to live?” and students routinely chanted “from the river to the sea,” which is a cry to eliminate Israel and all Jews within its borders.'

Meanwhile, a Jewish Columbia graduate whose 21-year-old cousin is among the hostages in Gaza also blasted the pro-Palestine demo as 'hurtful' in an interview with DailyMail.com. 

Leat Corrine Unger, 37, who studied speech language pathology at the Ivy League and now lives with her family in Bergen County, New Jersey, has not heard from her cousin Omer Shem Tov since he was abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7. 

'Honestly it's triggering for me personally because if the students only understood what they are standing for - they are supporting this ideology which supports terror of innocent people,' she said.

Columbia University President full statement 

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community,

Our University is committed to four core principles, which underpin all of our work and our shared values as a community:

First, we must keep all members of our community physically safe on campus.

Second, we are committed to academic freedom and to ensuring that all members of our community have the right to speak their minds.

Third, just as everyone at Columbia has the right to express their views, they also must respect the rights of others to do the same. As a result, protests must comply with time, place, and manner restrictions which, for example, prevent loud protests at night when other students are trying to sleep or prepare for exams. One group’s rights to express their views cannot come at the expense of another group’s right to speak, teach, and learn.

Fourth, our values—as well as our duties under civil rights laws—compel us to condemn hate and to protect every member of our community from harassment and discrimination. Antisemitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent.

I know that many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy. To those students and their families, I want to say to you clearly: You are a valued part of the Columbia community. This is your campus too. We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and to ensuring that you feel welcome and valued.

We've worked hard to balance these principles. To that end, since Wednesday, a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogue with student organizers to find a path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment and adherence to University policies going forward. Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement.

Both sides in these discussions put forward robust and thoughtful offers and worked in good faith to reach common ground. We thank them all for their diligent work, long hours, and careful effort and wish they had reached a different outcome.

The University’s goal for the talks was a collaborative resolution with the protestors that would result in the orderly removal of the encampment from the lawn. The students also were asked to commit going forward to following the University’s rules, including those on the time, place, and manner for demonstrations and events.

While the University will not divest from Israel, the University offered to develop an expedited timeline for review of new proposals from the students by the Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing, the body that considers divestment matters. The University also offered to publish a process for students to access a list of Columbia’s direct investment holdings, and to increase the frequency of updates to that list of holdings.

Additionally, the University offered to convene a faculty committee to address academic freedom and to begin a discussion on access and financial barriers to academic programs and global centers. The University also offered to make investments in health and education in Gaza, including supporting early childhood development and support for displaced scholars. There are important ideas that emerged from this dialogue, and we plan to explore pursuing them in the future.

As the past seven months have shown, our campus is roiled by divisions over the war in Gaza. All year, we have sought to facilitate opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in constructive dialogue, and we have provided ample space for protests and vigils to take place peacefully and without disruptions to academic life.

But we must take into account the rights of all members of our community. The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty. External actors have contributed to creating a hostile environment in violation of Title VI, especially around our gates, that is unsafe for everyone—including our neighbors. With classes now concluding, it represents a noisy distraction for our students studying for exams and for everyone trying to complete the academic year.

Consistent with our interim demonstration policies, after reading days, exams, and Commencement, protests may continue on campus by application with two-days’ notice in authorized locations. We have no intention of suppressing speech or the right to peaceful protest.

We also do not want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration. Please recall that many in this graduating class did not get a celebration when graduating from high school because of the pandemic, and many of them are the first in their families to earn a University degree. We owe it to all of our graduates and their loved ones to honor their achievement. We want to reassure our community who are trying to make plans that we will indeed hold a Commencement.

For all of the reasons above, we urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse. We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible. We will continue to update the community with new developments.

Sincerely,

Minouche ShafikPresident, Columbia University in the City of New York

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