Posted on 04/30/2024 12:34:30 PM PDT by Red Badger
Dozens of protesters began occupying the building at 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, pledging to remain until the University meets their demands.
Student protesters occupying Hamilton Hall will face expulsion, University spokesperson Ben Chang wrote in a Tuesday press release.
“Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation – vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances – and we are following through with the consequences we outlined yesterday,” Chang wrote.
Dozens of protesters have occupied Hamilton Hall—which they renamed “Hind’s Hall,” in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian child killed by the Israeli military—since 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Upon entry, protesters sealed the building within five minutes, barricading entrances with wooden tables, chairs, and zip ties.
“We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions,” Chang wrote. “Our top priority is restoring safety and order on our campus.”
Chang also stated that students who remain in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” will face interim suspensions. Columbia began suspending students involved in the encampment on Monday, according to a University spokesperson. Suspended students do not have access to any University properties, including academic buildings and residence halls, and may not complete the semester nor graduate.
“As we said yesterday, disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with teaching, learning, and preparing for final exams, and contributes to a hostile environment in violation of Title VI,” Chang wrote.
The disciplinary action comes against the backdrop of the University’s ongoing Commencement preparations, as staff continues to set up bleachers on Low Plaza and tents on the lawns across south campus.
Columbia University Apartheid Divest identified the protesters occupying Hamilton Hall as an “autonomous group” in a Tuesday 2:07 a.m. press release posted on X.
In a Monday substack post, CUAD reaffirmed their demands for Columbia: divestment from companies with ties to Israel, financial transparency on direct and indirect holdings, and amnesty for all disciplined pro-Palestinian students.
“Admitted students day is over—commencement is on its way,” CUAD wrote in the post. “Let’s see how much of this campus we can reclaim by then!”
University News Editor Sarah Huddleston can be contacted at sarah.huddleston@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec.
This is not a protest, it’s the opening moves of a war. These are not students and should not be treated as such, they are enemy combatants, they have chosen sides, they wear the colors of the enemy, they should be captured if possible, held for the duration of this war and interrogated vigorously as long as they are in captivity.
Don’t want them at large, you can keep them.
As soon as they hear the argument that expulsion = deportation; Columbia wil totally cave, just like MIT did.
They’re still pretending that this is a student led demonstration!
Wink wink nod nod.
There was already a leaked document from the administrators that they will expunge their expulsions.
How about jail time?
How many are illegals?
” The powers that be will put a stop to that real quick.”
They haven’t yet, as this has been ongoing for several days and spreading. Kinda shoots your nasty antisemitic remark in the head.
Is “facing expulsion” the same as being expelled? Language, people.
“days”
They should expel them all, but they won’t.
Columbia needs to stop threatening and start doing.
Where are the swat teams?
WTF, get on with it already.
I’ll bet many of them are Foreign born.
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