Columbia Classes Remote As Protest Wages On: ‘We Need A Reset’

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — Classes at Columbia University will be held virtually on Monday — the fifth day of the student-led Gaza Solidarity Encampment protest — amid safety concerns, officials said.

The demonstration that led to the arrest of more than 100 protesters and dozens of student suspensions last week has only expanded in recent days, drawing in hundreds more participants and inspiring similar encampment-style protests (including those at The New School and NYU), according to photos and videos posted to social media. Related: Dozens Arrested In Columbia Protests As NYPD Moves On Campus

At the same time, safety concerns have heightened on campus, and classes will be held virtually as administrators pursue next steps, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said in a statement posted to the university’s website Sunday night.

“The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days,” Shafik wrote. “These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. We need a reset.”

There are "no credible threats" to students on campus at this time, NYPD officials confirmed at a mid-morning news conference.

Columbia Business School assistant professor and outspoken Israel supporter Shai Davidai was set to descend on the campus with a crowd of pro-Israel protesters in tow Monday, though his swipe access was revoked by campus public safety officials, Columbia’s Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway told him in a video of the interaction posted to X.

Davidai won't be allowed on campus with the rest of his supporters, but he will be permitted on campus to teach Tuesday, Holloway said.

Other measures that will be enforced amid the protest include 111 additional safety personnel, effectively doubling the typical number of safety personnel on campus. Private security guards are also slated to monitor the perimeter of the Morningside Heights campus from Broadway to Amsterdam Avenue and West 114th Street to West 120th Street.

ID checks will also be improved at campus entry points "to ensure the individual entering matches the photo on their CU ID," Holloway said in a statement.

Current entry points to campus, which are limited only to Columbia University ID holders, are at the north College Walk pedestrian gate at Amsterdam and 116th, Wien Gate on 116th between Amsterdam and Morningside Drive, and Earl Hall Gate at 117th and Broadway, Holloway said.

All other campus gates are currently closed "until conditions allow."

White House Condemns Antisemitism On Campus

The White House commented on Columbia's protests over the weekend, condemning “physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community” on Columbia’s campus. In a video posted to X, 0ne protester near the university appears to say "the 7th of October is going to be every day for you."

“While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous — they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.

Rabbi Elie Buechler, a rabbi at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to a group of about 300 mostly Orthodox Jewish students “strongly” recommending they return home amid the turmoil, CNN reported. In a statement issued Sunday, the Columbia/Barnard Hillel said students should not leave the campus, and that instead university and city officials should do more to ensure student safety.

"We call on the University Administration to act immediately in restoring calm to campus," Columbia/Barnard Hillel officials said in a statement. "The City must ensure that students can walk up and down Broadway and Amsterdam without fear of harassment."

The NYPD will be stationed at the Kraft Center through Passover, which begins Monday, Columbia/Barnard Hillel officials said.

In response to a question about antisemitism on campus at the mid-morning news conference, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters Michael Gerber noted the NYPD is "committed to making sure people can exercise their first amendment rights and determining when something goes from protected speech to unprotected speech can be very context-specific."

In an interview on CBS News Monday afternoon, Mayor Eric Adams noted city officials will be "meeting with all of our colleges to ... explain how to engage the New York City Police Department" and "ensure that there's no violation of laws or no violation on private property."

I am horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus. Hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law they receive a report about and will arrest anyone found to be breaking…
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 21, 2024

Columbia Doesn't Want Cops On Campus, NYPD Says

As Columbia University is private property, police mobilization can only happen if there is an ongoing crime, Gerber said at the news conference.

"It is up to the university to decide whether or not they want us on campus," Gerber said. "As a general matter, Columbia University - and this goes back many years - does not want NYPD present on campus. That is their decision."

That is, until last Thursday, when Shafik told NYPD officials there were students "trespassing" and urged police to take action, Gerber said.

A "very large" police presence remains near the university during the ongoing protests on and off-campus Monday, Gerber added.

What Led To Thursday's Mass Arrests On Campus?

The ongoing demonstration plans to remain on the campus lawn until the university divests from its interests in Israel, organizers said in videos posted to social media.

While several Columbia student groups have pushed divestment for years, calls have been renewed amid the Israel-Hamas war. Last fall's "Call To Action for Palestine" protest, organized by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, urged newly-inaugurated Shafik to end the campus' dual-degree program with Tel Aviv University and pull the plug on the Tel Aviv Global Center opening.

Other demands include Columbia University verbally acknowledging Palestine "existence and humanity," according to the SJP Instagram page.
Read more: 2 Protests, One War: Israel-Hamas Conflict Reaches Columbia U [PHOTOS]

Shafik made the call for the NYPD to clear the campus Thursday morning, a decision she "hoped would never be necessary," according to the letter posted to Columbia's website.

Letters from the university distributed to protesters Wednesday night threatened students to leave by 9 p.m. Wednesday or face suspension "pending investigation for possible violation of multiple university policies," according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Patch.

"During the suspension, you may not go to class or hand in work related to courses and therefore may not be able to complete your current courses," the letter reads. "Your [student ID] will be deactivated, you will not have access to classrooms and other parts of campus and may not participate in University activities."

At least three students — including Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi — were suspended as a result of the protests, Hirsi confirmed via X.

Chief John Chell told the Columbia Spectator the "clear and present danger" that warranted the arrests was identified by Columbia, not authorities. The NYPD also didn't report any violence or injuries in connection with the encampment.

"To put this in perspective, the students that were arrested were peaceful, offered no resistance whatsoever, and were saying what they wanted to say in a peaceful manner," Chell told the student publication.

This is a developing story. Patch will update as more information comes in.