After negotiations with pro-Palestinian protesters failed, the president of Columbia University called on them to voluntarily disperse, without saying what will happen if they don’t.
Student protests for Palestine spread across Europe: students gather in front of Sorbonne University
“We are looking for alternatives internally to end this as quickly as possible”
“We are pressing those in the camp to voluntarily disperse. We are considering alternatives internally to bring this crisis to an end as quickly as possible,” Columbia President Nemat Minous Shafik wrote in a lengthy statement.
“Organizers and leaders of the academic institution were unable to reach an agreement”
Shafiq, whose administration was criticized by a university oversight committee on Friday for its handling of the protests, said in a statement that organizers and leaders of the academic institution were unable to reach an agreement that would have resolved the impasse over the camp. which, according to the presidency, violates university regulations.
She said that Colombia will not divest assets that support the Israeli military; A key demand of protesters, however, the school offered to invest in the health and education sectors in Gaza and improve the transparency of Colombia’s direct investment holdings, according to its announcement.
Protesters’ demands
Protesters promised to hold the camp until three demands were met: the transfer, transparency in Colombia’s finances and amnesty for students and employees punished for their participation in the protests.
Shafiq was heavily criticized by many students, staff, and outside observers for calling the NYPD to clear the camp, resulting in over 100 arrests. Efforts to remove the camp, which students set up again in the days following the April 18 police crackdown, have sparked similar protests at universities from California to Boston.
Last week, two deadlines that Columbia had set for protesters to remove their tents expired without agreement.
It is unclear what the university will be able to do now that it has announced that negotiations were unsuccessful.
Student organizers were not immediately available to comment on Shafiq’s announcement, and a university spokesperson said the administration would have no further comment.
Source: RES-MPE