On Wednesday, April 3, six Columbia students were reportedly suspended and evicted from student housing as a result of an investigation into a Palestinian Solidarity Month event, according to Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine. According to the Columbia Daily Spectator, two of these suspensions were lifted on Thursday. 

According to an Instagram post published Thursday by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), six Columbia students have reportedly been suspended and evicted with 24 hours’ notice to leave. By Thursday, the University had lifted two suspensions, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator. The post claimed that the students were “arbitrarily selected” for disciplinary action as a part of an investigation into a Palestinian Solidarity Month event.   

The event being investigated by the University, titled Resistance 101, was originally supposed to be held in Uris on Sunday, March 24, but it was later moved to the Barnard Center for Research on Women, according to the CU Palestinian Solidarity Month Instagram. Ultimately, the event was moved to a residential community for queer Columbia students, according to SJP. The organization claims that in the hours after the event was held, all but one of the house’s residents were contacted by the University’s investigators and “threatened with immediate disciplinary action if they did not comply.” Investigators reportedly requested access to the students’ private text messages and sent emails to over 100 student groups belonging to the CU Apartheid Divest coalition, which SJP described as an act of intimidation.

According to SJP, a private investigator hired by Columbia visited the home of a Palestinian student two days before suspensions were issued. The organization’s post claims that the private investigator “rattled the doorknob multiple times as if trying to break in.” The student was subsequently “forced” to remain indoors and therefore could not attend prayer or break their fast to observe Ramadan. 

At the “All Out For Al-Shifa” protest on Thursday, April 4, one of the suspended students spoke about their experiences on campus as someone who arrived at Columbia from Palestine eight months ago. The student remarked that they were hospitalized as a result of the skunk spray dispersed at a January 19 protest. They experienced lasting effects from the spray, but attested that they did not receive support from the University. The student, who was in attendance at the Resistance 101 event, was allegedly suspended at 8 pm on April 3, stating they would be evicted from campus housing 24 hours later.

On the morning of Friday, April 5, President Shafik released an official statement regarding the suspensions. In her announcement, she stated that the aforementioned “Resistance 101” event was barred twice from occurring, as it featured speakers that allegedly supported acts of terrorism and violence. She affirmed that the “event [was] an abhorrent breach of [Columbia’s values.” Shafik confirmed that law enforcement was notified of the event on campus, and that private investigators were subsequently hired to do an in-depth investigation. The University, in conjunction with the private investigators, were able to identify the organizers and participants involved with the event. Shafik stated that they are currently in the process of interviewing those involved, confirming that a number of students have already been suspended for their participation. 

President Shafik acknowledged the effect that “the war between Israel and Hamas” has had on the student body, saying that she does not aim to punish students. She also reminded students of the University rules and policies in place, stating that actions such as this must have consequences. She closed by remarking that “this university can only thrive if we can build a strong foundation of respect—both for each other and for our rules.” 

SJP claimed that the preceding investigation is a “part of a coordinated campaign to boost Columbia’s public image” in anticipation of a congressional hearing on antisemitism to take place on April 17. On this date, President Minouche Shafik, as well as two trustees, will testify before Congress regarding the University response to antisemitism on campus. This follows a similar December 5 hearing in which the presidents of Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology testified on campus antisemitism. 

The post claims an overall lack of consideration of the safety of students on the part of the University, citing the skunk spray resulting in multiple documented long-term health effects and student hospitalizations. SJP feels that Columbia did not adequately pursue the perpetrators following the incident. Using this event as an example, SJP posits that there can be “no semblance of free speech on campus” until the University “fully divests… from companies and institutions that profit from apartheid and Israeli occupation.”

Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) will place a divestment referendum on the Spring 2024 ballot in mid-April for Columbia College and Barnard. Updates on the voting process and how to vote will be provided by the SJP and CUAD Instagram pages.

Columbia via Bwog Archives.