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4 months ago
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Embattled Columbia President Minouche Shafik is begging pro-Palestine protesters to 'voluntarily disperse' as their sprawling encampment enters a second week.
The Ivy League leader has issued a statement saying many Jewish students have found the atmosphere 'intolerable' and left the campus as a result.
Shafik acknowledged that Columbia has been 'roiled by divisions over the war in Gaza' - and said the situation had now reached a 'crisis' level.
It comes as she faces growing pressure to resign over her failure to control the demonstrations from prominent Republicans and Democrats alike.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is begging pro-Palestine protesters to 'voluntarily disperse' as their sprawling encampment enters a second week
It comes as Shafik faces growing pressure to resign over her failure to control the demonstrations from prominent Republicans and Democrats alike
Demonstrators face off with NYPD officials outside the main entrance of Columbia University
'Our values—as well as our duties under civil rights laws—compel us to condemn hate and to protect every member of our community from harassment and discrimination,' Shafik's statement reads.
'Antisemitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent.
'I know that many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy.'
Shafik said negotiators had tried to secure 'the orderly removal of the encampment' from Columbia's lawns on the Upper West Side.
'Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement,' she said.
The college has offered 'to publish a process for students to access a list of Columbia’s direct investment holdings, and to increase the frequency of updates to that list of holdings' in response for calls for greater financial transparency.
But Shafik stopped short of giving the demonstrators what they wanted - saying the university 'will not divest from Israel'.
'All year, we have sought to facilitate opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in constructive dialogue, and we have provided ample space for protests and vigils to take place peacefully and without disruptions to academic life,' she said.
'But we must take into account the rights of all members of our community. The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty.
'External actors have contributed to creating a hostile environment in violation of Title VI, especially around our gates, that is unsafe for everyone—including our neighbors.
'With classes now concluding, it represents a noisy distraction for our students studying for exams and for everyone trying to complete the academic year.'
Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson visits Columbia University
It comes after Columbia cowed to protesters by letting protesters remain despite issuing a midnight deadline for dispersal on Thursday.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said during a speech on the library steps beside the encampment last week that Shafik should resign if she cannot control the demo.
Meanwhile, a group in the House Democrats have urged the Columbia University board to 'act decisively' and end the encampment or step down.
Twenty-one Democrat representatives including Josh Gottheimer and Dan Goldman signed a letter to the trustees urging them to disband the protest, which has been a hotbed for antisemitic displays.
'We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus,' the letter reads.
'As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
'For the past week, this encampment has been the breeding ground for antisemitic attacks on Jewish students, including hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and even threats of violence.
'Last weekend, a student held up a sign pointing to pro-Israel students that said “Al-Qa[ss]am’s next targets,” referring to the military arm of Hamas, the foreign terrorist organization responsible for the atrocities of October 7, and for holding hostage innocent civilians – including Americans – in brutal captivity for nearly seven months.
'One of the protest leaders has previously declared, “Zionists — they are Nazis. They’re Nazis. They’re fascists. They’re supporters of genocide.
'Why would we want people who are supporters of genocide to live?” and students routinely chanted “from the river to the sea,” which is a cry to eliminate Israel and all Jews within its borders.'
Columbia University President full statement
Dear fellow members of the Columbia community,
Our University is committed to four core principles, which underpin all of our work and our shared values as a community:
First, we must keep all members of our community physically safe on campus.
Second, we are committed to academic freedom and to ensuring that all members of our community have the right to speak their minds.
Third, just as everyone at Columbia has the right to express their views, they also must respect the rights of others to do the same. As a result, protests must comply with time, place, and manner restrictions which, for example, prevent loud protests at night when other students are trying to sleep or prepare for exams. One group’s rights to express their views cannot come at the expense of another group’s right to speak, teach, and learn.
Fourth, our values—as well as our duties under civil rights laws—compel us to condemn hate and to protect every member of our community from harassment and discrimination. Antisemitic language and actions are unacceptable and calls for violence are simply abhorrent.
I know that many of our Jewish students, and other students as well, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy. To those students and their families, I want to say to you clearly: You are a valued part of the Columbia community. This is your campus too. We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and to ensuring that you feel welcome and valued.
We've worked hard to balance these principles. To that end, since Wednesday, a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogue with student organizers to find a path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment and adherence to University policies going forward. Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement.
Both sides in these discussions put forward robust and thoughtful offers and worked in good faith to reach common ground. We thank them all for their diligent work, long hours, and careful effort and wish they had reached a different outcome.
The University’s goal for the talks was a collaborative resolution with the protestors that would result in the orderly removal of the encampment from the lawn. The students also were asked to commit going forward to following the University’s rules, including those on the time, place, and manner for demonstrations and events.
While the University will not divest from Israel, the University offered to develop an expedited timeline for review of new proposals from the students by the Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing, the body that considers divestment matters. The University also offered to publish a process for students to access a list of Columbia’s direct investment holdings, and to increase the frequency of updates to that list of holdings.
Additionally, the University offered to convene a faculty committee to address academic freedom and to begin a discussion on access and financial barriers to academic programs and global centers. The University also offered to make investments in health and education in Gaza, including supporting early childhood development and support for displaced scholars. There are important ideas that emerged from this dialogue, and we plan to explore pursuing them in the future.
As the past seven months have shown, our campus is roiled by divisions over the war in Gaza. All year, we have sought to facilitate opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in constructive dialogue, and we have provided ample space for protests and vigils to take place peacefully and without disruptions to academic life.
But we must take into account the rights of all members of our community. The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty. External actors have contributed to creating a hostile environment in violation of Title VI, especially around our gates, that is unsafe for everyone—including our neighbors. With classes now concluding, it represents a noisy distraction for our students studying for exams and for everyone trying to complete the academic year.
Consistent with our interim demonstration policies, after reading days, exams, and Commencement, protests may continue on campus by application with two-days’ notice in authorized locations. We have no intention of suppressing speech or the right to peaceful protest.
We also do not want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration. Please recall that many in this graduating class did not get a celebration when graduating from high school because of the pandemic, and many of them are the first in their families to earn a University degree. We owe it to all of our graduates and their loved ones to honor their achievement. We want to reassure our community who are trying to make plans that we will indeed hold a Commencement.
For all of the reasons above, we urge those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse. We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible. We will continue to update the community with new developments.
Sincerely,
Minouche ShafikPresident, Columbia University in the City of New York
English (US)