Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue at Columbia’s New York campus, scene of tensions since Thursday

“Put things back in order.” This is the objective of the president of New York Columbia University, who published a press release announcing that “that all courses will take place remotely” Monday April 22. Tensions have continued to increase since April 18, when around a hundred participants in the pro-Palestinian demonstrations was arrested on campus. In response to these arrests, students gathered at universities across the country.

On the Columbia campus, students go so far as to settle in tents to avoid being evicted. They demand, among other things, that the university, which has an exchange program with Tel Aviv, boycott all activities linked to Israel. “There was a big debate about whether or not to mobilize the police”, said Nemat Shafik in his press release. The police are not supposed to be able to intervene on campus without the agreement of the university, which is similar to private property.

“No form of violence will be tolerated”

“It’s a very, very sensitive subject. We’re trying to do our best” Mike Gerber, head of legal affairs for the New York police, said at a press conference on Monday. “No form of violence will be tolerated. Property damage of any kind. Any form of criminality. And that includes harassment, threats, (…) or anything else of that nature.”he added.

Since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, American campuses have been the scene of tensions and voices have been raised to denounce a rise in anti-Semitism. The Republicans took up the subject and after a heated hearing in Congress, the president of the University of Pennsylvania Elizabeth Magill, then her Harvard counterpart Claudine Gay resigned, in December and January respectively.