The student protesters may be banned from campus if they get arrested
First Day of School Week: Students’ Actions at Columbia University and Virginia Tech University, and Other Campuses in the Los Angeles/Cascade Firefights
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators continue to turn out at schools across the country despite the risk of detention and suspension, with nearly 300 more protesters were arrested over the weekend.
On Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli protesters clashed at the University of California, Los Angeles, leading to what university leaders described as “physical altercations” and prompting them to increase security measures on campus.
Elsewhere in the state, an unknown number of protesters were arrested at Virginia Tech University in the early hours of Monday morning, according to the Washington Post. NPR has reached out to the university for more information.
The school issued a warning of police activity around the graduate life center at 10 pm, and continued on with posts for the next couple of hours. Social media footage shows protesters chanting at police as they lead them into vans.
Protests at George Washington University in D.C. are stretching into their fifth day on Monday — the last day of class for the semester — after a tense weekend, culminating in a clash between protesters and police.
Students first set up an encampment on University Yard on Thursday and later launched a second one on nearby H Street after the school put up barricades to restrict access.
Shortly before midnight on Sunday, protesters knocked down the barricades — piling them in a stack in the middle of the lawn — and flooded the lawn, with people remaining there overnight in some 85 tents, the GW Hatchet reports.
“This is an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest,” they added. The university will do all it can to hold those involved accountable for their actions.
One question on the minds of many is what, if any, disciplinary action student protesters might face from their schools, especially with finals and graduation fast approaching.
Most of the 53 students who were arrested and suspended at Columbia University will be able to return to campus, Barnard College officials announced on Friday. The New York Times reports that suspended students who reached agreements with the college have their access to residence halls, dining facilities and classrooms restored, while others are still working to reach agreements.
On Sunday, the president of the college stated that they would not bring charges against protesters, and would encourage the district attorney to not prosecute protesters who broke the law.
He said that it is taking steps to support students who were arrested, including providing bail for them and providing housing for those who have to stay local for court appearances after the closing of their dorms.
The college has done its best to keep community members safe, but we know we need to do more.
Students who protest peacefully protest at a university in Pennsylvania may face disciplinary action or sanctions in California, Georgia and Texas, officials told the Associated Press
In Texas, the Travis County district attorney has dropped misdemeanor trespassing charges against all 57 people arrested during a protest at UT-Austin last week, after a judge found insufficient evidence to proceed.
Elsewhere, some schools are threatening disciplinary action for students who don’t comply with directives to leave encampments that they say violate their policies.
They are prohibited from using bullhorns or speakers to amplify their voices, possessing weapons and protesting inside campus buildings — but also face more vague prohibitions like “no disruption,” according to a list circulated late Thursday.
After student protesters occupied two academic and administrative buildings at Cal Poly, officials closed the campus to the public on Saturday. They had given protesters a Friday deadline to leave but said they would still face consequences if they didn’t.
The officials said that this doesn’t remove University conduct-related sanctions or legal implications. “In addition, voluntarily departing in this way will be considered as a mitigating factor in University conduct processes and may reduce the severity of sanctions imposed.”
The campus will remain closed until May 10, with work and classes remote through the end of the semester. They are planning for various scenarios for the graduation.
She said rules have been broken, and those who break them — “including rules around the time, place and manner of protest” — will face disciplinary action.
At the University of Pennsylvania, officials say a campus statue was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti and are calling on demonstrators — from Penn and other area schools — to disband.
A group of Penn faculty and Philadelphia-area elected officials signed a letter last week that urged the university to respect the students’ rights to peacefully protest and to not charge them for doing so.
“Threatening students with sanctions of this kind is unconscionable and should not be the means by which Yale responds to peaceful protest,” they added.
Faculty at universities in California, Georgia and Texas have used symbolic votes to express their unhappiness with their leadership according to the Associated Press.
Columbia University had begun occupying a campus building early Tuesday morning: When Israeli protesters kicked the building, the students protested
The protesters began occupying buildings early Tuesday morning after the school asked them the previous day to leave, because of the support for Palestinians.
Students moved furniture to a balcony at Hamilton Hall, after protesters climbed into open windows at John Jay Hall, according to a radio station.
University officials were not available to make a statement. Though its public safety department was actively responding. If people could, they should not come to the campus on Tuesday.
Columbia had set several deadlines to reach an agreement with demonstrators who had set up a campsite that the school said was a threat to campus safety, and a nuisance to Jewish students trying to study and sleep.
The president of Columbia says that the academic leaders and student organizers put forward “robust and thoughtful offers” in the discussions. “We thank them all for their diligent work, long hours, and careful effort and wish they had reached a different outcome.”
Demonstrators are protesting in support of Palestinians amid the war between Israel and Hamas, and they are calling for Columbia to sever its investments and business dealings with Israeli companies.
Columbia said Monday it would not do that, but it did say the school’s Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing will start reviewing new proposals from students. It is promising to give students a list of its investments as well as provide more money for health and education in Gaza.
However, the parties did agree that protests will be paused until after reading day, exams and commencement, as Shafik urged the Columbia community to consider that the class of 2024 did not get to have their high school commencement ceremonies in person due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After that, students will have to submit an application at least two days before a protest is held in designated areas.
Students and Students in an Unwelcoming Environment: The Holocaust, Antisemitism and the Quasi-Sexiracism
She said that the situation has caused an “unwelcoming environment” and “hostile environment” for Jewish students and is in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Antisemitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent,” she said. “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.
Shafik, who has been under fire for her handling of the protests, said she is committed to keeping community members physically safe and shielding them from harassment and discrimination, while allowing them to freely speak, which must mean respecting others’ right to do so as well.
On Monday, protesters did not agree to completely deconstruct the encampment, while the school did not agree to stop doing business with Israeli companies, one of student activists’ demands. The school also began suspending students.
Some of the people left the tent in the early hours of Tuesday, but they still refused to leave Hamilton Hall because Columbia had not agreed to sell Israel’s assets.
Columbia students occupied Hamilton Hall on April 30, 1968, to protest racism against Black people. Almost 150 people were injured and 700 people were arrested.
