- Student protesters occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, according to reports.
- The occupation follows Colombia’s announcement of its intention not to disengage from Israel.
- Protesters were reportedly heard chanting: “Disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest.”
Student protesters at Columbia University have barricaded Hamilton Hall, one of the main buildings on the New York campus, and several are believed to be inside.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, protesters said they had taken over Hamilton Hall, flying a Palestinian flag in the building’s windows. An NBC News reporter said windows were broken and dozens of people entered the building.
CNN reported that about 200 student protesters barricaded the entrance to the building, with about a dozen people inside. CNN staffer and Columbia student John Towfighi told the outlet there was no visible police presence.
An NYPD spokesperson told NBC that officers were “off campus, not on the ground” just before 2 a.m.
The student newspaper Columbia Spectator reported that dozens of protesters occupied Hamilton Hall, using metal gates, tables and chairs as barricades and zipping the doors shut.
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine published a press release on early Tuesday, they said protesters would stay until the university meets its demands for “divestment, financial transparency and amnesty.”
The group published a video on which appeared to show student protesters forming a human chain to protect those occupying Hamilton Hall.
Protesters who entered the building where the dean’s office is located were reportedly heard chanting: “Disclose, divest.” We will not stop, we will not rest.”
On Monday, Columbia President Nemat Minouche Shafik issued a statement announcing that the university would not “divest from Israel.” The university also ordered protesters to leave their encampment by 2 p.m. and threatened suspension to students who defied the order.
Shafik made a direct appeal to Jewish students in the statement, saying: “I know that many of our Jewish students, as well as other students, have found the atmosphere intolerable in recent weeks. Many have left campus, and it’s a tragedy.
Columbia University did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside of normal business hours. Staff and students were asked to avoid campus Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
Columbia has been facing unrest on campus for nearly two weeks over Israel’s war in Gaza. The protests began on April 17, the same day Shafik testified before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus.
Last week, the university moved to online-only teaching due to escalating protests.
Protesters say they are peaceful, but tensions on campus have sparked concerns within the Jewish community. Rabbi Elie Buechler wrote to Jewish students to “strongly recommend” that they leave campus for their safety, CNN reported.
This action is part of a wave of protests at several universities across the country in recent weeks against the war between Israel and Hamas.
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