US: Columbia threatens to suspend pro-Palestinian protesters; rival groups clash on UCLA campus

Columbia University’s president, on Monday (Apr 29) said that the talks with the pro-Palestinian protesters on the campus have failed and urged them to voluntarily disperse or face suspension. This comes a day after skirmishes broke out at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters.

What happened at Columbia University?

Columbia University President Nemat Minouche Shafik, on Monday, said that the talks between student organisers and academic leaders have failed over the encampments set up by the pro-Palestinian protesters.

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In a statement, Shafik said that the university would not divest assets that support the Israeli military – a key demand by the protesters – but offered to invest in health and education in Gaza as well as make Columbia’s direct investment holdings more transparent, reported Reuters.

Meanwhile, students at Columbia shared a copy of the warning they received from the university. The statement said those who did not vacate the encampment by 2:00 pm (local time) and sign a form acknowledging their participation would face suspension.

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The student would also be considered ineligible to complete the semester, reported Reuters citing the letter. Additionally, even those who sign the form and leave the area would have to reportedly face “disciplinary probation” until June 2025 or their graduation, whichever comes first.

The university president faced outrage, on April 18, as New York police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment and arrested more than 100 demonstrators from the Ivy League campus.

Since then, the number of people arrested for participating in these protests has surpassed 900, reported the Associated Press.

University campuses across the United States are witnessing similar protests, while college officials have urged pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments. This comes as the universities wrap up for the semester and prepare for graduation ceremonies.

However, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, students and other protesters have called on universities to cut financial ties with Israel.

Clashes at UCLA

On Sunday (Apr 28) morning, thousands of protesters, including university students and others gathered on the UCLA campus.

UCLA’s student-led newspaper, Daily Bruin reported that the crowd consisted of four protests, organised by various groups after the pro-Palestinian encampment started on the campus, last week.

The crowd included members of the Israeli American Council which “led the main counter-protest…toward the encampment,” according to the Daily Bruin.

Members of the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice which sought to support students’ right to protest and the Palestinian Youth Movement were also a part of the crowd.

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Images and videos of the skirmishes posted on social media show pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli counter-protesters led by the council shouting and shoving at each other.

According to the Daily Bruin, counter-protesters waving Israeli and American flags attempted to breach the barriers created by students inside the encampment.

“This morning, a group of demonstrators breached a barrier that the university had established separating two groups of protestors on our campus, resulting in physical altercations,” said Mary Osako, vice chancellor of UCLA Strategic Communications in a statement to the student-led paper.

It added, “UCLA has a long history of being a place of peaceful protest, and we are heartbroken about the violence that broke out.”

(With inputs from agencies)