Protesters invade Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in escalation of anti-war protests – NBC Chicago

The student protesters unfurled a flag on the building emblazoned with “INTIFADA,” an Arabic word meaning uprising or rebellion that has been used by Palestinians for decades.

Student radio station WKCR-FM aired a detailed report of the hall takeover — which occurred nearly 12 hours after Monday’s 2 p.m. deadline for protesters to leave an encampment of about 120 tents under penalty of suspension. University officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Tuesday morning, but the Department of Public Safety said in a statement that access to the Morningside campus had been limited to students living in residential buildings. and to employees who provide essential services, such as meals, utilities. security and maintenance personnel. There was only one access point to enter and exit the campus.

“The safety of every member of this community is paramount,” the notice states.

At Station

Universities across the United States are grappling with how to clear encampments as commencement ceremonies approach, with some continuing negotiations and others turning to force and ultimatums that have resulted in clashes with police. Dozens of people were arrested Monday during protests at universities in Texas, Utah and Virginia, while Columbia said hours before the Hamilton Hall takeover that it had begun suspending students.

Alex Kent/Getty Images

The nationwide campus protests began as a response by some students to the Israeli offensive in Gaza after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7.

The militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages. By promising to eradicate Hamas, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local Health Ministry.

Israel and its supporters have called the university protests anti-Semitic, while Israel’s critics say it uses such allegations to silence its opponents. Although some demonstrators have been filmed making anti-Semitic remarks or violent threats, protest organizers, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protest against the war.

At the University of Texas at Austin, a lawyer said at least 40 protesters were arrested Monday. The clash is an escalation on the state capital’s 53,000-student campus, where more than 50 protesters were arrested last week.

Later Monday, dozens of University of Utah officers in riot gear attempted to disperse an encampment set up outside the university president’s office in the afternoon. The police dragged the students by their hands and feet, breaking the poles that supported the tents and tying up those who refused to disperse. Seventeen people were arrested. The university says overnight camping on school grounds is prohibited and students were given multiple warnings to disperse before police were called.

The plight of the students who were arrested has become a central focus of the protests, with students and a growing number of teachers demanding amnesty for the demonstrators. The question is whether suspensions and criminal records will follow students throughout their adult lives.

The protests in Texas and others, including in Canada and Europe, grew out of early demonstrations that continued in Colombia. On Monday, student activists defied the 2 p.m. deadline to leave the encampment. Instead, hundreds of protesters remained. A handful of counter-protesters waved Israeli flags, and one held a sign reading: “Where are the anti-Hamas chants?”

Although the university did not call police to remove the protesters, school spokesman Ben Chang said suspensions had begun, but he could provide few details. Protest organizers said they were not aware of any suspensions Monday evening.

Columbia’s handling of the protests has also drawn federal complaints.

A class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Jewish students alleges a breach of contract by Columbia, saying the university failed to maintain a safe learning environment, despite its policies and promises. He also challenges the abandonment of in-person classes and calls for swift legal action requiring Columbia to keep students safe.

Meanwhile, a legal group representing pro-Palestinian students is urging the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to investigate Columbia’s compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to determine how they were treated.

A university spokesperson declined to comment on the complaints.

Photos: Pro-Palestinian protests on American college campuses

In a rare move, Northwestern University said it had reached a settlement with students and faculty who make up the majority of protesters on its campus near Chicago. It allows peaceful protests until June 1, when spring classes end and in exchange, requires the removal of all but one tent for aid, and restricts the protest area to only allow students, faculty and staff, unless otherwise agreed by the university.

At the University of Southern California, organizers of a large camp spoke Monday with university President Carol Folt for about 90 minutes. Folt declined to discuss details, but said she had heard protesters’ concerns and that talks would continue Tuesday.

USC sparked controversy on April 15 when officials refused to allow the valedictorian, who has publicly supported the Palestinians, to deliver a commencement speech, citing unspecific security concerns for the rare move. Administrators then abandoned the commencement address by filmmaker Jon M. Chu, an alumnus, and refused to award honorary degrees.

The backlash, along with protests at Columbia, inspired the encampment and protests on campus last week, where 90 people were arrested by police in riot gear. The university canceled its main graduation event.

Elsewhere, administrators have tried to save their beginnings and several have ordered the cleaning of encampments in recent days. When those efforts failed, officials threatened disciplinary action, including suspension or even arrest.

But students held their ground at other prominent universities, with clashes continuing at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale and others. Police in riot gear from Virginia Commonwealth University attempted to disperse an encampment there Monday evening and clashed with protesters.

___

Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas, and Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Associated Press journalists from across the country contributed to this report, including Hannah Schoenbaum, Sarah Brumfield, Stefanie Dazio, Christopher Weber, Carolyn Thompson, David Collins, Makiya Seminera and Corey Williams.