Columbia Police Clear Building at and Arrest Dozens of
Columbia Almost all entrances to Columbia University in New York City are now crowded with police and private security personnel, barricading the streets. Students are leaving the campus for home with their belongings. The class has been canceled and it is unclear when the exam will be held.
There is a sense of dread and uncertainty everywhere in the university about what will happen next.
Students told the whole campus was in turmoil after Tuesday’s raid on the university’s Hamilton Hall to prevent protests over the Gaza incident and the detention of more than 100 people.
Meanwhile, in a message after the police raid, university president Nemat Shafiq said, “It is with deep sadness that he had to order the police to crack down on students and trespassers. And this wound will take time to heal.”
On the other hand, the governor of California has come under criticism for the violence at the University of California in Los Angeles. Before the police arrived on the scene, a group of pro-Israeli masked protestors assaulted a pro-Palestinian student tent there.
The governor’s spokesman said the “limited and delayed” police intervention in the incident was totally unacceptable. Hundreds of police officers were stationed on the campus on Wednesday.
However, many have complained that the police did not act quickly during the clashes around the students’ tents on Tuesday midnight. Officials, however, said police were quickly deployed after the outbreak of violence.
For the past few days, fierce student protests have been going on at US universities demanding a boycott of various individuals and companies associated with Israel. It turned into clashes at several places on Tuesday night.
The troubled Columbia family:
No one knows how long it will take to heal the wounds inflicted on students at New York’s prestigious Columbia University.
University journalism student Anna Oakes covered Tuesday night’s events.
“It seems like everything is falling apart,” he said.
After a night of chaos and conflict, the campus area was different on Wednesday morning. “Don’t stop,” said one of the protesters. We will not rest.”
Many students have started packing their belongings and leaving the campus. Those who are still there say they are in the dark and don’t know if dining services will resume soon.
Environmental studies student Will Parkinson described his feelings as ‘a strange hell’.
“We’re not sure what to do,” he said. He watched the police raid on Hamilton Hall from a friend’s room. He could not leave the building where he was during the raid.
Mr. Parkinson said Columbia authorities paid for them to eat out because the university cafeteria was understaffed.
Many are still protesting peacefully. Many went to the steel barricade and shouted slogans demanding the police to withdraw from the campus.
On the other hand, teachers say they still don’t know how to finish their semester.
California Clashes, Criticism of Governor:
The state’s governor is criticizing the police’s response to campus violence.
On Wednesday, police were also visible in the surrounding regions and on campus. On the other hand, it has been reported that the police failed to respond promptly during the tolerance.
Protesters began leaving the area within two hours of the attack and police were able to establish full control by Wednesday morning.
The governor strongly condemned the violence in a post on social media X. His office issued a statement.
“The law is clear. “Right to expression does not give the right to violence, vandalism or lawlessness,” he said.
He promised that anyone responsible for the event would face consequences, such as criminal charges, suspension, and termination.
Many campuses, including Harvard, and Yale, are in turmoil:
Prior to this, for the past few weeks, various universities in the United States, including Harvard and Yale, have erupted in pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests. Protesters are calling for a boycott of companies and individuals associated with Israel.
The New York police raided the academic building occupied by the protesting students at Columbia University in the United States on Tuesday night. The police started the operation at 9:30 pm local time.
According to the police, they entered the building called Hamilton Hall with the permission of the university authorities.
Earlier, the authorities ordered the protest on the university premises to stop.
Columbia University officials said of the operation that “we had no choice after occupying, vandalizing and blocking”.
President Joe Biden said protests must be peaceful and “occupying buildings by force is not peaceful – it’s wrong.”
Former President Donald Trump called the day a sad day for Columbia in a telephone interview with Fox television.
Congressman Jamal Bauman, a Democrat from New York City, criticized the raid at Columbia University. He is angry at the presence of the police there.
For the past few days, violent student protests have been going on at US universities demanding a boycott of various individuals and companies associated with Israel.
Earlier, many Columbia teachers and officials stood in solidarity with the protesters by wearing orange and yellow vests.
Students were protesting on that campus by pitching tents. The authorities had given time till Monday afternoon to remove the tent. But even after the deadline given by the authorities, dozens of students rallied at the venue.
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