(New York) At the scheduled time, the great wrought iron gates of Columbia University opened Friday afternoon, allowing a group of journalists access to the heavily guarded campus in Morningside Heights, near Central Harlem, where pro-Palestinian protesters set up dozens of tents and inspired students across the United States.
On this sunny day, calm reigned over the camp set up on half of the lawn in front of the imposing Butler Library. But relations remained tense between the demonstrators and the university management, which had given them until Friday morning to dismantle their tents. The ultimatum was ignored.
At the beginning of the evening, one of the headliners of the demonstration, Khymani James, was banned from entering the campus after the broadcast of a video dating back to last January in which he asserted that “Zionists do not deserve to live,” remarks he denied on Friday.
Before this ban, the following voices were heard on the campus of Columbia University and around this prestigious institution at the heart of the turmoil.
Sueda Polat
“I think the university leadership underestimates our power. The students demonstrated their capacity for resilience. They’ve been here for 10 days… The University thinks they can wear us out. This is not the case. We will stay until we reach a negotiated agreement. »
Sueda Polat represents the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) organization on the student negotiating team.
The demonstrators are demanding in particular that the university divest from “companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation” and to sever its ties with Israeli universities. For its part, the university management is demanding the dismantling of the camp before the traditional graduation ceremony, which must take place in the same place in three weeks.
Like the other members of CUAD, Sueda Polat refuses to comment on the comments of Khymani James, spokesperson for the group, inviting a journalist to read her mea culpa published on Instagram.
“We demonstrated in every possible way that it was a peaceful demonstration and that it respected the rules of freedom of expression,” says the master’s student in response to accusations of anti-Semitism which are the subject of some pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University.
Sebastian Gomez
“I have been in the camp for about a week. I felt like it was unfair to continue my studies in the same way as before, that it was impossible not to be in solidarity with my friends and the people of Gaza. I couldn’t stand on the sidelines and leave my friends to their own devices in the cold at night. »
With a keffiyeh around his neck, Sebastian Gomez, an applied physics student, describes a camp whose mood varies.
“The camp is a beautiful place. There is music, dance, seminars, teaching. We are together. We have access to delicious food that people give us. But university leaders are spreading rumors about sending in the police or the National Guard. They try to terrorize us psychologically and tire us out. But we are not tired. »
Ava Lyon-Sereno
“It is very clear to everyone here that what the State of Israel is doing is genocide against the Palestinians. As a Jewish student, I feel it is my responsibility to stand up because of the way I was raised. I was taught that to be Jewish is to know what oppression is. So when I see people being oppressed, it is my responsibility to stand up and say that this is wrong. »
19-year-old Ava Lyon-Sereno, an urban studies student, does not question the testimonies of students or professors who feel threatened on the Columbia University campus or who say they have been the target of anti-Semitic comments .
But, speaking of the pro-Palestinian encampment, she said: “There are a lot of Jewish students and professors here. It’s the safest place I feel on campus, where everyone is very tolerant and welcoming. »
Jonathan Ben-Menachem
“I think this is a distraction from the massacre in the Gaza Strip. And it is very unfortunate that the safety of Jewish students at the most prestigious universities is now being prioritized instead of the tens of thousands who have died over the past six months. »
Jonathan Ben-Menachem, one of the organizers of CUAD, reacted in these terms to the media coverage of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations which are multiplying on American campuses.
“I have heard of real incidents of anti-Semitism. I emphasize that CUAD is a decentralized group made up of people from all walks of life. And I will also say that there are actual Nazis and white supremacists lurking around the university, trying to sow discord. I even saw Gavin McInnes, one of the founders of the Proud Boys, the day [le président de la Chambre des représentants] Mike Johnson came to campus. »
Esther Blum
“I love it when leftists and woke people use the phrase “free speech” like they care. They don’t care. In the same way that they don’t care about the Palestinians while saying they care. Because Palestinians suffer under Hamas and they support Hamas. »
Met outside the Columbia University campus, Esther Blum, a 22-year-old student at John Jay College, echoes one of the criticisms often leveled at pro-Palestinian students, especially those who identify with the Students for Justice group. in Palestine.
“This group is submissive to Hamas. He is hiding in the shadow of a terrorist organization. The Columbia University encampment is the perfect example of the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of this university. Everyone should say it loud and clear. »
Premilla Nadasen
“I fundamentally believe in the right to freedom of expression and the right to protest. Since October, students have been organizing protests. They were peaceful. There was no form of harassment or violence during these protests. Yet the leadership banned two organizations, Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. At Barnard College, management took control of all websites. She canceled events. There is a real problem with what I would call a form of authoritarianism on this campus. »
Premilla Nadasen is a professor of history at Barnard College, an all-women’s institution at Columbia University. She supports the pro-Palestinian encampment which emerged in its current form after a police raid on campus that led to more than 100 arrests and contributed to the proliferation of student protests in the United States.
“All of this has a negative impact on the issue of debate and discussion. What is currently happening in Palestine and Israel must be debated. This is perhaps one of the most important questions facing our world today. »