Columbia University students will commence having virtual classes today, Monday, April 22 as school officials make plans to deescalate tensions on the New York City campus after pro-Palestinian demonstrations led to mass arrests last week.
In a statement on Monday, the Columbian President, Nemat Minouche Shafik announced that the university was canceling in-person classes on Monday while condemning antisemitic language, intimidating and harassment that she said had occurred on campus recently.
Shafik had additionally said that these tensions have been capitalised on by certain individuals not affiliated with Columbia who had come to pursue their own agendas on the campus.
“We need a reset.” She had said.
Over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Thursday on the campus after Shafik approved New York police to clear an encampment set up by students protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
According to local reports, Elie Buechler, an Orthodox rabbi at the Columbia University and its affiliate, Barnard College, had informed students in a online message that the campus and city police were unable to guarantee the safety of Jewish students.
The protests at Columbia are comparable to the demonstrations against the Vietnam War that happened in Columbia over 50 years ago, and are the latest in a series of protests disorganising university campuses, bridges and airports since the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7.
Human rights advocates, have highlighted the rise in bias and hate against Jews, Arabs and Muslims in the months coming after October 7.
