People guard the entrance to the encampment on the campus of Columbia University, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in New York City. © Kevin R. Wexler / NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Syndication: The Record
(New York, NY) — Anti-Israel protesters stormed into and took over a building on the Columbia University campus early Monday morning. The takeover of Hamilton Hall comes just hours after Columbia’s President, Minouche Shafik warned the demonstrators that they would be suspended for a year if they did not take down their tent city. The students say they will not leave Hamilton Hall until Columbia divest from any business interests it has in Israel.
The students who took over Hamilton hall could seen seen covering up surveillance cameras and barricading the doors of the building with furniture. It’s not clear how many are inside. Outside the building protesters have created a human chain to keep people out of the building. Hamilton Hall was the center of the campus Vietnam protests in the late 1960s. The university has not said how they will respond to the takeover. Administration leaders did say they were disappointed that talks with the protesters had broken down.
A Jewish student is suing Columbia University in connection to the ongoing demonstrations. The federal lawsuit claims Columbia is failing to provide a safe learning environment for students . The unnamed student says her education has been disrupted by a hostile environment. Columbia in a statement says “We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and to ensuring that you feel welcome and valued.”
