This Monday, pro-Palestinian demonstrations were felt both outside and inside Columbia University.
“I am here in solidarity with the camp, in solidarity with Palestine, with Gaza…, and against the genocide,” says Mariel Matos.
Meanwhile, a protest was also held inside the university where teachers and students participated.
They ask the directors of the educational institution to end the suspension of students. And also offer them an apology.
“It was something that was very unnecessary here, there are students, if you saw the students, the students were in a circle, they did not have a gun, they had nothing, but on the contrary the president called more than 100 police officers who had weapons, pistols, batons… ”, he adds.
This comes because, according to Columbia President Minouche Shafik, accusations of anti-Semitism have increased recently, with some Jewish and pro-Israel students saying they have been victims of hate and violence.
The protests and this campus encampment began Wednesday while Shafik was testifying at the Capitol about anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Since then these protesters have been demanding that the university stop investing in Israeli companies that support the war.
“We want us to stop getting involved in wars that do not belong to us, we want them to stop putting that money into destruction and death, and instead invest it in life,” explains Matos.
Despite more than 100 arrests and temporary suspensions of students, protests continue.
They claim that the repression of freedom of expression, along with increased security and police presence, has damaged the university environment.
They demand the resignation of the university president, since according to them she has failed to communicate a clear and effective message that addresses all perspectives of the problem.
Some students complain that this has disturbed their peace:
“For me it feels very restless at university, it is very difficult to concentrate on what I came for, that was my studies.”
For their part, university officials ask everyone to remain calm while they negotiate with the organizers of the protests.
Several pro-Israel elected officials have publicly denounced the anti-Semitism expressed on college campuses, such as Governor Hochul who visited Columbia this Monday morning.
Meanwhile, the students who are leading this protest say they will not stop demonstrating until the university administration meets their demands.
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