Columbia University cancels all in-person classes as protests dominate campus and after school rabbi issued shocking warning to Jewish students

Columbia University has cancelled all in-person classes on Monday amid escalating anti-Israel protests that have sparked fear in Jewish students - and a warning from a rabbi.

It comes after New York City police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the Ivy League school on Thursday and arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including the daughter of Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar.

In an email to students announcing virtual learning for Monday, Columbia president Minouche Shafik said she was 'saddened' by the situation on campus, and that the school 'needed a reset' following the chaos.

In her first statement to the campus community since Thursday, Shakif said tensions have been 'exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.'

The president added: 'I understand that many are experiencing deep moral distress and want Columbia to help alleviate this by taking action. We should be having serious conversations about how Columbia can contribute

Democratic Mayor Eric Adams previously said the city was asked in writing by university officials to remove the encampment. 

'Students have a right to free speech, but do not have a right to violate university policies and disrupt learning on campus,' Adams said on Sunday night.

'I am horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus. Hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law they receive a report about and will arrest anyone found to be breaking the law,' Adams said on Sunday night.

'I do, however, want to be abundantly clear: Columbia University is a private institution on private property, which means the NYPD cannot have a presence on campus unless specifically requested by senior university officials. For the safety of all New Yorkers, I urge Columbia’s senior administration officials to improve and maintain an open line of communication with the NYPD to ensure the safety of all students and staff on campus.

'The NYPD has an increased presence of officers situated around the campus to protect students and all New Yorkers on public streets, and they stand ready to respond if a request is made by the university, like was done this past Thursday.' 

The students had been protesting on campus since early Wednesday, opposing Israeli military action in Gaza and demanding the school divest from companies they claim 'profit from Israeli apartheid.'

Columbia’s president Nemat Shafik issued a statement saying the school had warned protesters on Wednesday that they would be suspended if the encampment was not removed. School officials made the decision Thursday to call in police and clear out the demonstrators, she said.

'The individuals who established the encampment violated a long list of rules and policies,' she wrote.

Shafik also said the university tried through several channels 'to engage with their concerns and offered to continue discussions if they agreed to disperse.'

The school said it was still identifying students involved in the protest Thursday and added more suspensions would be forthcoming.

Police moved in early Thursday afternoon, using zip ties to arrest protesters and escort them to waiting buses before removing the tents.

Commissioner Edward Caban said the arrests were peaceful and the protesters were cooperative.

Pro-Palestinian protesters reorganized on campus a short time later, chanting, 'Shame.'

'We demand full amnesty for all students disciplined for their involvement in the encampment or the movement for Palestinian liberation,' the protest coalition said in a statement.

On Sunday, Rabbi Elie Buechler of the Columbia/Barnard Hillel issued a warning to students on Sunday morning in a statement provided to DailyMail.com.

'What we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic,' Buechler wrote. 

'The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy.' 

A large group of demonstrators met outside the university gates on Saturday while student protestors returned to the main lawn, waving flags and chanting.

Buechler's statement came days after video surfaced showing a woman screaming 'We are Hamas!' while a man wearing a yarmulke and a Israeli flag on his back walked past.

As another man filmed the protestor and shoved his phone in her face, she repeated, 'Yes, we are all Hamas, b****!'

'It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved,' Buechler wrote.

'It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus. No one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school.'

The rabbi encouraged the students to reach out to him for help and ended the message: 'May we see better days on campus soon.'

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, issued his own statement on behalf of Buechler and Columbia's Jewish students.

'The anarchy inside and outside Columbia’s campus is disturbing, disorienting, and frightening for all of us to witness, but it has been downright dangerous for the Jewish students experiencing it,' read the statement provided to DailyMail.com

'The fact that Jewish students must seek refuge from their university campus is shameful evidence of the failure of the university and every level of government to effectively address the growing horror of domestic antisemitism.'

Protests have exploded across the university's campus over the past few months as war continues to brew in the Middle East.

However, they have only intensified amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict that has seen over 30,000 Palestinian civilians killed.

In a testimony before Congress, Columbia University President Nemat Shafik defended the students' actions and insisted she had been working to combat antisemitism.

Shafik asserted that the 'vast majority' of protests on campus have been 'peaceful' and said the college is focused on upholding free speech, but 'cannot and shouldn't tolerate abuses this pledge to harass and discriminate.'

She noted holding daily meetings with the campus security team and working closely with the NYPD and FBI in instances where hate crimes are reported.

Also on Sunday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates issued a statement.

'While every American has the right to peaceful protect, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous – they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America,' he said.

'And echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organizations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable. We condemn these statements in the strongest terms.'

Demonstrators gathered at The New School, a private university in New York City, on Sunday to stand in solidarity with other students.

Video posted to social media shows a small group sitting cross-legged inside a campus building, clapping and chanting, 'No tuition for genocide!'

The protestors have assembled tents bearing messages including 'Liberated zone' and 'Free Palestine.'

Similar demonstrations have erupted at Harvard University and Boston University in Massachusetts.