'We Will Not Stop,' Columbia Protesters Vow As Deadline Passes

4:49 p.m. update: Student protesters at Columbia University vowed to continue a pro-Palestinian encampment in defiance of school administrators who threatened mass suspensions.

"WE WILL NOT STOP, WE WILL NOT REST!!" tweeted Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, as a 2 p.m. school-imposed deadline to stop the encampment passed Monday.

Videos posted from the campus showed hundreds, perhaps more, protesters picketing to protect the encampment.

A student told the Columbia Spectator student paper that the picketing will go on "as long as it takes."

The threats of suspensions appeared to do little to dissuade protesters, and also drew condemnation from a United Nations officials.

"I'm hearing disturbing reports that students face suspension if they don’t end their peaceful protests in #Columbiauniversity in the USA," tweeted Mary Lawlor, special rapporteur on human rights defenders for the UN.

"This is a clear violation of their right to peaceful assembly."

2:57 p.m. update: Another pro-Palestine protester was arrested outside the Morningside Heights campus gates at 116th and Broadway, WKCR reported. While it's unclear why the arrest occurred, the individual was reportedly carried by her arms and legs while protesters chanted "let her go," student reporters noted.

Another WKCR student reporter noted she was told she could face disciplinary action if she remains inside the encampment after 2 p.m.

2:49 p.m. update: A lone agitator is harassing faculty in support of student protesters near the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, WKCR first reported. It appears the agitator entered the campus during designated press hours as the campus only remains accessible to campus ID holders.

"This is what happened in 1930s Germany," the agitator said, according to WKCR. The outlet added the agitator also invited crowd to take photos of faculty members blocking the entrance to the encampment.

NEW YORK CITY — Nearly 2,000 students have gathered on Columbia University's main campus in solidarity with pro-Palestine protesters facing a 2 p.m. deadline to leave or else face discipline.

"If you do not leave by 2 p.m., you will be suspended pending further investigation," a notice from Columbia's administrators states, according to a tweet Monday from protest organizers.

About noon Monday, protesters at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment voted to stay put past the deadline, the Columbia Spectator reported.

Student reporters from WKCR, Columbia University's radio station, noted the amount of people on campus Monday was "unprecedented" as the deadline approached. Student journalist Samaa Khullar reported some faculty members formed a human chain to protect the encampment.

Half an hour before the deadline, hundreds of protest supporters were seen gathering around the encampment, according to videos posted to X, formerly Twitter.

At least one protester was arrested outside the main gates of the campus in connection with using a sound device, independent journalist Katie Smith reported.

How Did We Get Here?

The deadline and suspension threat came after Columbia University Minouche Shafik announced Monday morning that talks with pro-Palestinian student protesters failed to reach an agreement.

She said in a statement that the school "will not divest from Israel" — the principal demand of student protesters, whose encampment has generated two weeks of turmoil and inspired similar demonstrations against the war in Gaza across the nation.

Shafik said academic leaders in the school had negotiated with student organizers, who agreed to ultimately dismantle a "significant" number of tents at the encampment last week. Read more: Columbia Protesters Given 48-Hour Deadline To Dismantle Encampment

"Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement," Shafik's statement reads.

The announcement also appeared to hint that the school will not ask the NYPD to break up the encampment — an action that Shafik undertook nearly two weeks ago and led to dozens of arrests, but no end to the tents.

Instead, Shafik asked protesters to "voluntarily disperse." She said the protests had created an "unwelcoming environment" for Jewish students and faculty.

And Shafik also stressed that the school will hold a commencement, despite the potential disruptions.

"We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible," Shafik's statement reads.

The "alternative options" appear to be suspension, in addition to other discipline, according to the notice tweeted out by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.

The notice states that university officials have "already identified many students in the encampment." It asks protesters to voluntarily leave by Monday at 2 p.m., identify themselves to a university official and sign a form in which they commit to abide by all school policies through June 30, 2025.

"If you do not identify yourself upon leaving and sign the form now, you will not be eligible to sign and complete the semester in good standing," the notice states.

Read the full statement here.