2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation

2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation
2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation
Part of the Israel-Hamas war protests in the United States, the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, and student activism at Columbia University
	A scene of the reinstated[clarification needed] campus encampment, several days after the NYPD arrested students and removed the first encampment.
Date	April 17–30, 2024; (1 week and 6 days)
Location	Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States; 40°48′27″N 73°57′43″W / 40.80750°N 73.96194°W
Caused by	Israel-Hamas war; Opposition to Columbia University's investments in Israel;
Goals	Columbia University's divestment from Israel
Methods	Protests; Occupation; Civil disobedience; Picketing;
Resulted in	Protesters suppressed NYPD raids campus on April 18 and April 30 and maintains officers on campus until May 17; Student participants suspended; Columbia University maintains financial ties with Israel;
Parties
Pro-Palestinian groups: Gaza Solidarity Encampment: Columbia University Apartheid Divest; Students for Justice in Palestine; Jewish Voice for Peace; Supporting groups: Within Our Lifetime; Neturei Karta; ANSWER Coalition; Palestinian Youth Movement; People's Forum; PAL-Awda; Uptown for Palestine;	Local authorities: New York City Police Department Strategic Response Group; ; Columbia University administration; Pro-Israel counterprotesters: StandWithUs; Students Supporting Israel; New York Hostage and Missing Families Forum; Smaller groups of counterprotesters;
Lead figures
	Protesters and organizers Eric Adams; Edward Caban; Minouche Shafik;
Casualties
Injuries	37 protesters injured; 9 protesters hospitalized;
Arrested	232 protesters arrested

A series of occupation protests by pro-Palestinian students occurred at Columbia University in New York City in April 2024, in the context of the broader Israel–Hamas war related protests in the United States. The protests began on April 17, 2024, when pro-Palestinian students established an encampment of approximately 50 tents on the university campus, calling it the Gaza Solidarity Encampment,^[2]^[3] and demanded the university divest from Israel.

The first encampment was dismantled when university president Minouche Shafik authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus on April 17 and conduct mass arrests.^[3]^[4] A new encampment was built the next day. The administration then entered into negotiations with protesters, which failed on April 29 and resulted in the suspension of student protesters.^[5] The next day, protesters broke into and occupied Hamilton Hall,^[6] leading to a second NYPD raid, the arrest of more than 100 protesters, and the full dismantling of the camp.^[7] The arrests marked the first time Columbia allowed police to suppress campus protests since the 1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War.^[8]

As a result of the protests, Columbia University switched to hybrid learning (incorporating more online learning) for the rest of the semester.^[9] The protests encouraged other actions at multiple universities. Several antisemitic incidents took place during the protests.^[10] Organizers have said they were the work of outside agitators and non-students.^[11] Pro-Palestinian Jewish protesters have said that incidents of antisemitism by protesters are not representative of the protest movement.^[12] On May 6, the school administration announced the cancellation of the university-wide graduation ceremony scheduled on May 15 and said it would instead make "Class Days and school-level ceremonies" the "centerpiece" of its commencement activities.^[13]

^ ^a ^b "New York City said 'no injuries' at Columbia arrests; students' medical records say otherwise". Reuters. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
^ Goldstein, Judy. "In Focus: The first 24 hours of the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment'". Columbia Daily Spectator. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Otterman, Sharon (April 18, 2024). "Columbia Sends In the N.Y.P.D. to Arrest Protesters in Tent City". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
^ Otterman, Sharon; Blinder, Alan (April 18, 2024). "Over 100 Arrested at Columbia After Pro-Palestinian Protest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference suspend was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference :16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference NBCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Pro-Palestinian Columbia Student Protests Continue After Arrests". TIME. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
^ Egan, Matt; Boyette, Chris; Prokupecz, Shimon; Anderson, Nic F. (April 22, 2024). "Columbia University main campus classes will be hybrid until semester ends; NYU students, faculty arrested during protests". CNN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference NYT-antisemitism was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference CLS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Hall, Richard (April 25, 2024). "Jewish student protesters say Columbia's pro-Palestine protests aren't antisemitic". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
^ Ramsey, Khalifeh (May 6, 2024). "Columbia cancels main graduation ceremony after campus protests". Gothamist. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.

Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

[46inj-1] "New York City said 'no injuries' at Columbia arrests; students' medical records say otherwise". Reuters. Retrieved May 18, 2024.

[3] Goldstein, Judy. "In Focus: The first 24 hours of the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment'". Columbia Daily Spectator. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

[:0-4] Otterman, Sharon (April 18, 2024). "Columbia Sends In the N.Y.P.D. to Arrest Protesters in Tent City". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

[5] Otterman, Sharon; Blinder, Alan (April 18, 2024). "Over 100 Arrested at Columbia After Pro-Palestinian Protest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.

[suspend-6] Cite error: The named reference suspend was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:16-7] Cite error: The named reference :16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[NBCR-8] Cite error: The named reference NBCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:4-9] "Pro-Palestinian Columbia Student Protests Continue After Arrests". TIME. April 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.

[:7-10] Egan, Matt; Boyette, Chris; Prokupecz, Shimon; Anderson, Nic F. (April 22, 2024). "Columbia University main campus classes will be hybrid until semester ends; NYU students, faculty arrested during protests". CNN. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[NYT-antisemitism-11] Cite error: The named reference NYT-antisemitism was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[CLS-12] Cite error: The named reference CLS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:6-13] Hall, Richard (April 25, 2024). "Jewish student protesters say Columbia's pro-Palestine protests aren't antisemitic". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.

[14] Ramsey, Khalifeh (May 6, 2024). "Columbia cancels main graduation ceremony after campus protests". Gothamist. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.

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