With the seventh day of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment comes new developments at and around Columbia University, including protests, demonstrations, announcements and statements.

Content warning: Calls for violence.

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 2:18 am: Student council statements

Three undergraduate student councils made a collaborative post on Instagram and attached a statement condemning “further arrests of peaceful protestors” at the Encampment. They stated that they are “doing everything in [their] power” to protect students’ rights to protest, and called on all members of the Columbia community to “come out to the lawns to protect their students over the next two days.” Three presidents—those for CCSC, GSSC, and SGA— signed their names at the end of the statement. Although the post indicated that all presidents contributed to the statement, the ESC president’s name was not listed in the signature.

ESC later posted a statement to their Instagram account, stating that they “wanted to hold a bit” on issuing the statement so that the executive board could “act as a united front.” Their stated they also oppose more arrests and called on faculty, staff, and students to go to the Encampment during the upcoming two days “as the situation unfolds.”

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 1:59 am: SJP statement on alleged threats of National Guard deployment

Columbia SJP posted a statement on their Instagram claiming that Columbia threatened to deploy the National Guard to remove the Encampment. 

The student team has left negotiations in response, stating that “good faith” talks are “impossible if one side threatens the use of force to extract concessions” and that they will not return until the University presents a “written commitment” indicating that they will not call the NYPD or the National Guard.

SJP referenced times when National Guard intervention has been violent or deadly, such as in Ferguson during the Black Lives Matter protests and the student deaths at Kent State during the Vietnam War and admonished the University for the reported threat due to the presence of “Black, brown, and Jewish students who are at serious risk for police violence.”

They also rejected the University’s goal of “returning to business as usual,” stating that CUAD negotiators “refuse to accept Columbia’s complicity in genocide.”

SJP concluded that they will not “concede to cowardly threats and blatant intimidation” from the University that “continuously acts in bad faith and repeatedly neglects the safety of its students.”

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 1:32 am:

116th & Broadway protest

Police officers are moving from the Barnard side of 116th & Broadway toward the main Columbia gates. They are lining up on the sidewalk and do not have cameras turned on. ACLU monitors are on the scene.

Police officers are now speaking on loudspeakers at the protest outside of 116th & Broadway: “This is the New York City Police Department. We have directed you to not move the barriers… Any altering or moving at the barriers will earn yourself arrest at this time. You’re making unreasonable noise.”

Protesters quieted some after this announcement but still chant, “The people united will never be defeated.” Shortly after, they went back to using noisemakers, and a speaker stated that they are present in “solidary” with Columbia student protestors and “brothers and sisters in Gaza.”

The protesters are now louder, saying, “We’re not backing down” and “The more they try to silence us, the louder we will be.” They are also chanting, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, fuck 12” and, “There’s no fucking riot here, why are you in riot gear?”

The demonstration still continues, and the SRG unit is still present.

Gaza Solidarity Encampment update

Organizers have coordinated the re-pitching of tents informed outside student observers and supporters to return to the Encampment site at 7:30 am.

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 1:04 am: 116th and Broadway protest

Around 12:45 am, NYPD officers in riot gear were spotted outside of the Columbia gates on 116th and Broadway. The NYPD began moving protesters into a line. Protesters chanted “Oink oink piggy piggy, we gon’ make your life shitty.” Strategic Response Group (SRG) units of the NYPD subsequently arrived at the scene. Protestors chanted, “No justice, no peace” and used noisemakers and bells. Vans began pushing forward, leaving the area and moving toward the Earl Hall gates.

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:56 am: Encampment protest

Following the announcement that the University’s deadline for reaching an agreement with protestors has reportedly been extended to 8 am, protestors began moving sleeping supplies back onto the West Lawn, food and water in front of Pulitzer Hall, and all other supplies onto the Journalism Lawn in front of Furnald. They also established a lost and found section for any displaced items.

Encampment protesters were told by organizers to circle up. Organizers apologized for the “confusion” and iterated that there was “no need for alarm” or “panic.” Green and yellow role protesters were asked to message chats and ask those who took items from the Encampment to bring back items. Red role protesters were asked to remain in the Encampment and help re-pitch tents. Organizers warned that the Encampment was currently at “high risk of infiltration,” and protestors who were on security shifts should return to their posts. Organizers then told protesters that “there is no sweep” and stated that “we will rebuild and we will keep our focus on Palestine.”

Around 12:45 am, police in riot gear were spotted outside of the Columbia gates on 116th and Broadway. The NYPD began moving protesters into a line.

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:38 am: Palestinian Youth Movement

At 12:10 am on April 24, the Palestinian Youth Movement posted a statement on their Instagram in response to alleged reports that Columbia threatened to deploy the National Guard at the Encampment. They referenced the historic deployment of the National Guard at Kent State 54 years ago and stated that “[i]t is the height of irony that Columbia University administration officials are echoing the calls of extreme right-wing republicans (sic) in Congress.” They ended by stating that the “people all over the United States and indeed around the world salute the heroic stand taken by Columbia students… that are demanding liberation for the Palestinian people.”

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:23 am: Agreement deadline

A spokesperson from the University has told Bwog that they have no comment regarding the report that the agreement deadline has been extended until 8 am.

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:14 am: Encampment protest

“Our movement is no longer a student movement, it is a mass movement,” organizers said. They told protestors that “we are entering a period of high alert for the next three days” and that they “might need people to turn up quickly, en masse in front of the Encampment, to protect the Encampment.”

Red role protesters held a meeting. One protester stated, “We are leading the student movement for Palestine in New York City.” Red role protesters also stated, “It’s us versus the federal government and we’re going to fucking win,” and, “We just have the likelihood that this attestation will be more violent than the one you witnessed last week.”

Protestors began clearing food, medical supplies, and other items from the Encampment, reportedly collecting them for imminent jail support. Protestors were also advised to write down important phone numbers. At around 11:40 pm, students began disassembling and taking tents out of West Butler Lawn, as well as removing any signs. Protesters told others that did not want to be arrested to “get the fuck out [of the West Lawn].”

The yellow role broke up in groups of 20-30 protestors, called “platoons.” Organizers told yellow role protestors that a sweep would allegedly begin tonight and continue for 48 hours, until Thursday, April 25, and that if they feel uncomfortable, they could leave at any time. “No one is keeping you here,” they said. Other protesters outside of the West Lawn circled around the fence.

At midnight on Wednesday, April 24, organizers announced that the University’s deadline for reaching an agreement with protestors has reportedly been extended to 8 am on April 24. No official communication from the University has been released at this time. Protestors began moving tents back to the West Lawn upon the announcement. Bwog has reached out to Columbia for confirmation.

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 12:05 am: President Rosenbury Statement

At 11:56 pm, Barnard President Laura Rosenbury sent out an announcement to Barnard students regarding the Encampment. She forwarded students President Minouche Shafik’s email, stating that she “reiterate[s her] strong respect for the right to demonstrater.” Rosenbury stated, “I strongly encourage any members of the Barnard community to cooperate immediately with any requests to leave unauthorized gatherings on the Columbia campus.”

Email sent from President Laura Rosenbury to Barnard students at 11:56 pm:

Dear Members of the Barnard Community,

President Shafik shared the message below with students, faculty, and staff at Columbia earlier tonight. I want to make sure the Barnard community sees it as well.

I reiterate my strong respect for the right to demonstrate, but we must also ensure our community is a safe and welcoming place for all. In support of that principle, I strongly encourage any members of the Barnard community to cooperate immediately with any requests to leave unauthorized gatherings on the Columbia campus.

As I said yesterday, we must all take care of one another and our community.

Laura Rosenbury

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:57 pm: Encampment protest

Columbia student protesters gathered at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at 11 pm for a general assembly meeting. Organizers began the meeting by stating that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed the University will not be sending in the National Guard to clear the Encampment. 

Tuesday evening, President Minouche Shafik announced that if the University failed to reach an agreement with Encampment organizers tonight, they would “consider alternative options to clear the Encampment. Media coverage initially sparked rumors that the National Guard would potentially arrive to disperse protesters. Earlier today, Governor Hochul announced that the National Guard would not be sent to college protests in New York. “I don’t think it’s necessary at this time,” she stated, “but if the NYPD calls and says they need help, we’re always there for them.”

Protesters announced that protesters in the Encampment should “split into groups.” Protesters organized into a red role and yellow role. Red role protesters are reportedly “willing to risk arrest” and stay inside the Encampment. Yellow role protesters are reportedly “willing to support” but not risk arrest. Yellow role protesters gathered on the lawn outside the Journalism School.

On the lawn in front of the Journalism School, the yellow role protestors were told to crowd together. One organizer remarked “It’s like the bus,” referencing the NYPD Corrections buses that transported arrested students on Thursday.

Yellow role protesters began chanting, “Oink oink piggy piggy, we gon’ make your life shitty.” Organizers told protestors that they are “here to finish what [the 1968 Vietnam War protestors] started” and warned that these arrests may be “more violent” than the arrests on April 18. They also stated that “the past couple days we have seen the beginning of a movement that this country has not seen—that this world has not seen—in a long time.”

Organizers established a security plan with the yellow role in case of a NYPD arrests, which they believed was very likely. The plan would involve lining up against the fence by the Sundial and linking arms in order to be as visible as possible in case of violent arrests. Organized referenced “comrades” at Cal Poly and NYU, referencing the similar protests and subsequent arrests that have occurred at those two institutions. Members of the press were told to gather at the Sundial or Low Steps once lights began illuminating the Encampment and surrounding areas. 

Red role protestors were told by organizers to power off phones and that arrests may be accompanied with misdemeanor charges that can be negotiated down, given that “legally, [campus demonstrations are] not a misdemeanor.” Students in the Encampment were also advised to carry mini water bottles for recovery in case pepper spray was implemented. 

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:55 pm: 116th and Broadway protest

As of around 11 pm, a group of protesters gathered on 116th and Broadway, outside of Columbia gates. The Columbia gates are currently restricted to CUID access only; the group on Broadway has not been confirmed to contain any Columbia students. 

Around 60 protesters gathered on Broadway, shouting chants such as, “Free, Free Palestine,” “Columbia you can’t hide, you support genocide,” and “Columbia you will learn, refugees will return.” Around a dozen NYPD officers, including some in riot gear, surround the protesters. ACLU protest monitors, whose job is to monitor police conduct, are present at the scene. 

As of 11:50 pm, protesters were shouting, “Be bold, divest, we will not stop we will not rest.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:35 pm: Governor Hochul denies National Guard presence

Organizers inside the Encampment have stated that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed the University will not be sending in the National Guard to clear the Encampment, debunking claims by BreakThrough News. She announced earlier today, “I don’t think it’s necessary at this time, but if the NYPD calls and says they need help, we’re always there for them.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:44 pm: PPC releases a statement

The elected body of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Policy and Planning Committee (PPC), released a statement surrounding current events on campus on Tuesday, April 23. In this statement, the PPC condemned “all forms of hate speech, including antisemitic, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim utterances and behavior. We wish to dissociate our campus and our faculty from the vile and abusive language reported on and around our campus,” they said.

The committee’s statement followed the Arts & Sciences Faculty Town Hall meeting on Monday April 22 where the PPC “reaffirmed the rights of all Columbia students to an atmosphere free of harassment and discrimination, clarity and consistency in application of University rules, and the ability to speak and assemble freely.”

Acknowledging the differing opinions within Columbia’s community, the PPC expressed distress over reports that “conflate on-campus protests with the actions of bad actors from outside our community.” The PPC explicitly condemned the “reckless conflation by some in the media of the protected speech of our students with the harassing and abusive acts of visitors.”

The PPC noted that the individuals who demonstrate outside of the gates are not Columbia affiliates, as access to campus has been restricted since April 15. “Much recent reporting of student protests has been sensational and inaccurate,” they said.

“This does not mean that there have been no bad actors or actions on campus; it means that we should not inflame the situation by describing Columbia as paralyzed by chaos and conflict… Incendiary reporting poses grave dangers to our student body… They [inflammatory statements] must be rejected for what they are: bad faith attempts to exploit disagreements within our community for partisan ends,” the PPC wrote.

The statement concluded, “We challenge the news media not to substitute clickbait headlines and out-of-context videos for honest reporting. And we tell all antisemites and provocateurs: You do not represent us. We do not want you on our campus or outside our gates.”

Update made on Wednesday, April 24 at 3:17 pm: A new PDF of the PPC statement was added to reflect further signatures.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:36 pm: President Shafik announces plans to clear Encampment

President Shafik emailed Columbia affiliates this evening stating that she intends to clear the encampment and restore “calm to campus” for graduation. She wrote to her students, “it is essential that we move forward with a plan to dismantle” the encampment. Additionally, she wrote that talks discussing said dismantle are “facing a deadline of midnight tonight to reach agreement.” According to BreakThrough News, “reputable sources from inside the Columbia encampment confirm[ed] to BT that the administration threatened, in its negotiations with student leaders, to bring in the National Guard.” Bwog has yet to confirm these claims and is awaiting a response from the University.

In the later parts of her email, Shafik reiterated the University’s policies against “discriminatory behavior.” She writes, “We are working to identify protestors who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and they will be put through appropriate disciplinary processes. The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination is antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to be a community of mutual respect and kindness.” Read more in the main article.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 9:52 pm:

Call on the National Guard

According to BreakThrough News, sources from inside the Encampment have confirmed to them that the University administration has threatened to call on the National Guard to stop student protests. Protesters at the 116th & Broadway gates have made the same assertions. Bwog has yet to confirm these claims.

Alleged University report to FBI

The not-for-profit advocacy organization Defending Rights & Dissent shared via X that Columbia “denied approval for a student webinar called ‘Resistance 101’,” and when it was held regardless of this decision, it was reported to the FBI. The organization claims to have submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to learn about this report.  As of now, Bwog has not confirmed these claims.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 9:35 pm: 116th Initiative statement

In response to the April 22 email from Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury, the 116th Initiative—a mutual aid organization for Columbia and Barnard students—has issued a statement describing the President Rosenbury’s statement as “disingenuous.”

“We have seen firsthand how Barnard creates financially predatory institutional policies and systems to create a student body that relies on this institution for their day-to-day needs,” The 116th Initiative wrote.

The 116th Initiative then stated that they have seen “firsthand the outpour of students mistreated by various offices on this campus put in place to respond the very crises our suspended and evicted students now face– housing crises, food insecurity, medical debt, and lack of financial support for the very things that keep us alive on a day-to-day basis.

”The 116th Initiative then cited an “Example of How Barnard ‘Cares and Provides’ for its students,” referencing Rosenbury’s statement. They proceeded to outline financial aid policies where financial aid is diminished if a student opts to live off-campus, and drew attention to the college’s policies regarding outside scholarships.

The 116th Initiative continued, stating, “We have done everything in our power to take care of one another when this university has not…. You have shown your students, faculty, and the world who you truly are. Reverse the suspensions. Divest.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 9:07 pm:

Marc Lamont Hill’s visit to the Encampment

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill gave a speech at the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, April 23 following the previous day’s announcement that he would no longer speak at Columbia’s 2024 Mamie Phipps Clark and Kenneth B. Clark Distinguished Lecture or receive the accompanying $10,000 award. He began by speaking on the arrests of students on April 18, stating that he “won’t come into [Columbia’s] campus… until those students have their suspensions revoked, until the president steps down, and until this institution divests from an ethnostate.” After mentioning Except for Palestine, a book he co-wrote with his brother Mitchell Plitnick, he said, “You can’t be a liberal or a progressive, you damn sure can’t be a radical, if you have an exception for Palestine.”

Hill also expressed solidarity with the “faculty who have been courageous [at Columbia]” and condemned “cowardly academics,” saying: “Don’t tell me you care about academic freedom when a scholasticide is happening all throughout Gaza.” Speaking about antisemitism, he stated that he’s seen “nothing but love” in the encampment, and that all “must stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters to fight antisemitism at every single turn.”

Hill then spoke on President Joe Biden and the upcoming November presidential elections, stating that “[The White House] thinks you’re going to be so afraid of [Trump] that you will be unwilling to hold them accountable for… funding imperial wars.” Discussing Israel and Palestine, he stated that “Israel [is] continuing to hold the longest military occupation in modern history,” to which the crowd at the encampment responded “Shame!” He concluded by calling for “any institution that continues to profit and benefit from this ugly apartheid state” to divest from Israel, and finally led a chant of “Free, free Palestine!”

After Hill, a Palestinian Columbia professor also gave a speech at the Encampment. He opened by saying, “This was my first semester teaching at Columbia, and [it’s] looking like it’s going to be my last semester teaching at Columbia.” He expressed solidarity with students arrested on April 18, saying, “Students have always been on the right side of history because you make history.” He also gave a welcome to counterprotestors, and encouraged the crowd “to think of every opponent as a potential future ally.” In closing, he addressed the students at the encampment: “Have faith, because your demands are not only reasonable, they are not only just, your demands are inevitable.” Finally, he led a chant of, “The students united will never be defeated.”

Motaz Azaiza’s visit to the Encampment

Palestinian journalist and reporter Motaz Azaiza visited students at the Encampment on Tuesday. Azaiza reported from Gaza at the start of the Israeli strikes in October and eventually left due to the severity of the strikes and increasing death. Azaiza spoke to students in the Encampment and expressed solidarity with them.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 9 pm: Columbia General Studies Gala attacks

According to an SJP Instagram post, various students wearing keffiyehs were reportedly physically and verbally attacked at a Columbia General Studies gala. The post claimed that on the night of Saturday, April 20, “at least eight students wearing keffiyehs” were harassed by Israeli students, some allegedly being ex-soldiers for the Israeli Defense Forces. SJP attested that the students were called “bitch/whore” in Hebrew, told to “go back to Gaza,” and called terrorists.

SJP claimed that “many of the students harassed were Arab, some having their keffiyehs ripped off their bodies and thrown to the ground.” They also arrested that some of these students were “grabbed and pushed.” SJP reported that a Jewish student wearing a keffiyeh “was cursed at in Hebrew” and “punched in the face,” while a separate student was kicked. SJP stated that the event ended when a group of students sang the Israeli national anthem, some flipping off students wearing keffiyehs.

In the caption of their post. SJP stated, “The media is currently sowing mass hysteria about Columbia University in order to manufacture consent to genocide,” referencing how the GS gala’s events received no “acknowledgment from the press or the administration.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:44 pm:

SWC statement and petition

At 2:12 pm on Tuesday, April 23, Student Workers of Columbia released a statement on X announcing that 28 unions have signed a statement of solidarity with arrested and suspended students, including affected members of SWC-UAW 2710. The statement calls for all academic and legal charges against students to be dropped, and for Columbia to “immediately end the repression of protest.” The full list of unions who signed the statement can be found here

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:29 pm: 114th Street gate protest

About 50 NYPD officers in riot gear are present on 114th Street, with about 20 additional officers from Community Affairs and in Strategic Resource Group uniform. NYPD correctional buses are present on Broadway between 114th and 113th Streets.

Rudy Giuliani was on campus at the time, calling for President Minouche Shafik to resign.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 6:01 pm: 114th Street gate protest

Protesters are marching down 114th Street behind Butler Library, carrying picket signs that read “Shut it down for Palestine,” “End all US aid to Israel,” and “Lift the siege on Gaza now,” among others. Riot police and the NYPD Strategic Response Group is present. On the Columbia side, students are gathered within the gates, joining in on the chants from a distance. ACLU protest monitors, whose jobs are to monitor police conduct, are present on 114th Street.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 5:00 pm: Counterprotesting actions

Pictures of hostages, American flags, Israeli flags, and other flags bearing pro-Israel messages have been put up along Low Plaza.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 4:00 pm: CUAD letter to faculty

On Tuesday, April 23, the arrested and suspended students sent a letter to faculty demanding that instructors “halt the functioning of the University.” This letter was posted on Instagram in collaboration with CUAD, Columbia SJP, National SJP, and Palestine Action US.

The students requested that instructors cease their normal operations and “halt the University by any means necessary” until demands are met, including amnesty for suspended students, Columbia’s divestment from Israel and Israeli companies, the closing of the Tel Aviv Global Center, and ending Columbia’s dual BA partnership program with Tel Aviv University.

Suspended students requested that faculty and instructors “take labor actions,” such as ceasing grading, “calling in sick,” not holding exams, and not submitting final grades to combat the risk of the “normalization” of the student arrests and suspensions. The post claimed that suspended students are suffering from “food insecurity, evictions, lack of access to medical care,” and the “inability to attend classes or work campus jobs” due to these events.

They stressed that tenured faculty have “minimal risk” and “significant leverage” to cease normal operations and that their efforts will be more impactful with a high number of faculty members participating.

Lastly, the students stated they are asking faculty members to “take a calculated risk” with the suggested efforts “in service of a more free campus, a more just world, and a more free Palestine.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:50 pm: Public Safety press briefing with Ben Chang

At 3 pm on Tuesday, April 23, Columbia spokesperson Ben Chang gave a media press briefing on recent events. “The safety of our community is our number one priority,” Chang stated. “That includes the safety of the Encampment, which continues to grow.” Chang also affirmed that the University is “concerned” about non-affiliates who have entered the Encampment, stating that it wants them off-campus.

Chang also described negotiations between Encampment organizers and the University. He remarked that “University officials met with representatives of the protesters until 2 am this morning,” stating, “We have our demands and they have theirs.” He affirmed that President Shafik’s priority is deescalation and resolution of the situation on campus.

Chang stated that the Morningside campus will remain CUID access only for the time being, with certain credentialed members of the press allowed to enter within a 2 pm to 4 pm window with advance permission. He also stated that the University has facilitated access for certain government officials. He mentioned that various safety measures put in place will remain until “conditions improve,” as safety is “not just about absence of violence.”

He also took a moment to address suspensions, stating that Columbia will not release “specific figures” throughout the disciplinary process. Chang referred the media to Barnard College for inquiries about suspensions of Barnard students.

Chang stated that the University remains in contact with leadership of the 26th Precinct of the NYPD daily. He referred the media to the NYPD for matters including street closures, crowd control measures, arrests, and investigations.

Chang concluded the briefing by stating that President Shafik met with Governor Kathy Hochul and Jewish students in the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life yesterday. Today, Chang stated, President Shafik met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and members of the New York congressional delegation.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:06 pm: Counterprotestors in the Encampment

Around 1:40 pm today, two individuals, one holding a mixed Israeli and United States flag and another with a photo of hostages, entered the Encampment. In response, Encampment members began chanting “Zionism will fall,” “We want justice, we want peace,” “Justice is our demand,” and “No peace on stolen land.” A few minutes later, one of the individuals was seen shaking hands with an encampment member.  Around 2:25 pm, neon deescalation vests were handed out.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 3:00 pm: Senate Plenary announcement

On Tuesday, April 23, the Columbia College University Senators sent out an email to students announcing Senate Plenary, a meeting with the full University Senate on Wednesday, April 24, and Friday, April 26 to discuss ongoing events on campus. They asked students to share with them by email their experiences or suggestions they should bring to the meeting. The senators also expressed their concern with student arrests, law enforcement, and “subsequent incidents of hatred” on Butler Lawn, saying they were “deeply troubled” and it was “disheartening” to witness. The Friday meeting is open to all and will be held online at 1:15 pm.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 2:34 pm: Return of outside press

At 2:00 pm, non-Columbia-affiliated press were seen entering campus through Earl gates on 117th Street and Broadway. As of now, there has been no confirmed announcement about whether non-affiliated press are permitted back on campus.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 1:45 pm: Statement from Tey Meadows

A statement from the Columbia Department of Sociology was shared via Twitter by Associate Professor of Sociology Tey Meadow. The statement opposed the University’s decision to arrest students on Thursday for four reasons which it then lists: “the student encampment was not violent and did not threaten violence,” “the decision to call the police into campus violated the important principle of shared governance” along with “the principle of protecting free expression,” and the following suspensions “seem.. irregular, unnecessary, and resting on shaky legal ground.” It also states that the department will allow suspended students to participate in class and receive final grades. The statement is signed by 18 faculty members. Read the full statement here.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 1:45 pm:

“United For Israel March” announcement

A “United For Israel March” will take place on April 25 at 6:30 pm. The march was announced via Instagram by a group of four pro-Israel self-proclaimed activists with relatively large followings. The march will be led by Patricia Heaton.

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:37 am:

Doxxing trucks

A doxxing truck was spotted on Amsterdam Avenue, reading, “There is only one solution: criminal prosecution,” which is a reference to the popular pro-Palestine protest chant, “There is only one solution—intifada revolution.”

BOSS statement

Barnard’s Organization of Soul and Solidarity (BOSS) posted a statement to Instagram announcing that their traditional Senior Send-Off will be open to all Black Columbia seniors. Additionally, the Spring Luncheon will be open to the entire Black Columbia community. The statement called for the removal of NYPD presence on campus as it “[destroys] the physical, mental and emotional well-being of students.” As a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, BOSS emphasized that they stand in solidarity with students that were arrested and condemned the University for being “complicit in the oppression of Palestinian people.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:55 am:

Encampment update

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment still remains on West Butler lawn. There is a steady presence of demonstrators. Students are quiet and surrounded by food and supplies, and there are still dozens of tents. Meanwhile, preparation for Commencement is under way—parts of College Walk are blocked off as a forklift travels between Low Steps and Butler lawns, carrying materials to construct temporary bleachers.

New York Attorney General Letitia James statement

On Monday, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement on the “deeply concerning and painful” antisemitic incidents at Columbia. While she acknowledged the right to peaceful protest, she emphasized that “hate and antisemitic violence… will not be tolerated.” James stated that her “office is monitoring the situation closely.”

Update made on Tuesday, April 23 at 10:34 am: Chants calling to violence

On April 22, We Are Tov, an organization that combats antisemitism, and Columbia group Students Supporting Israel posted a video depicting protesters on 116th and Broadway chanting various calls to violence. The demonstrators chanted, “Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!”, “Al-Qassam [Hamas military wing] you make us proud, take another soldier out!”, and “Hamas, we love you. We support your rockets too!” Protesters in this video remained outside the Columbia University gates; it is unconfirmed whether any of the group contains Columbia students.

Image via Bwog Staff