On the morning of Columbia’s first day of Fall 2024 classes, more than 100 student protestors formed a picket in front of the 116th Street gates. Columbia University Apartheid Divest described the protest as opposing Columbia’s investments in the bombs falling on Gazan universities and contributions to “scholasticide” in Palestine.

At 9:30 am on Tuesday, pro-Palestine protesters formed a picket line in front of the 116th and Broadway campus gates to disrupt the start of classes. 

An Instagram post from Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) urged students not to attend their first classes of the semester and instead join the picket outside the gates to denounce the “scholasticide” in Palestine. The group claimed “Columbia University’s first day of class is funded by Israel’s bombing of every university in Gaza.”

CUAD wrote that Columbia students “do not deserve a first day of school,” due to the destruction of all universities in Gaza. They called upon the University to commit to their demands of full financial disclosure and divestment from Israel, stating that they “refuse to trade in the blood of Palestinians.” On their Substack entitled The Barricade, CUAD provides an email template for students calling in sick to classes in support of the pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia’s campus is currently operating under an orange campus status level, making it restricted to CUID holders and approved guests only. A restricted number of gates are open under this level, requiring ID holders to swipe into campus. On Tuesday, the line of students waiting to swipe into campus extended a block down to 115th Street due to both the picket line and the high volume of students traveling to class. 

At around 10:30 am, NYPD officers began setting up barricades on Broadway in front of the 116th gates to limit access to the sidewalk where the protestors were gathered. By 11 am, over 100 students were participating in the protest. Demonstrators held pro-Palestine posters and chanted phrases such as “There is only one solution, intifada revolution,” “Long live Hind’s Hall,” referring to their renaming of Hamilton Hall in April, and “We don’t want no Zionists here.” 

Protestors placed fliers in front of Low Library reading, “While you’re learning, Gaza’s burning.” The flier referenced Israel’s bombing preventing Gazan children’s first days of school and claimed the bombs’ “very production is facilitated by Columbia University’s investments in the imperial war machine.”

Meanwhile, the statue of Alma Mater was seen with a can of red paint spilled on it, as a private security officer was seen gating off the structure. At 12:30, officers began hosing the red paint off, fully barricading the area around the statue affected by the water. 

By 12:45, the protest had moved to the Barnard gates at 117th and Broadway. Barnard affiliates received a Community Accountability, Response, and Emergency Services (CARES) notification of the demonstration and were advised to use alternative exits for campus access. Students were able to enter campus at 117th but were asked to exit through 119th and Broadway. 

In front of Barnard, protesters wore keffiyehs around their faces for anonymity and solidarity with Palestine. They handed out fliers to students and circled within two barricades constructed by the NYPD. Students shouted chants and banged drums, holding posters and waving flags with red triangles. Lion costumes from Columbia University Lion Dance were involved in the protest. 

Meanwhile, pro-Israel counter-demonstrators gathered at 116th and Broadway in front of the Columbia campus gates. Demonstrators held a flag that read “Get support for terrorism off our campus” and held up a photo of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli hostage held by Hamas who was recently killed. 

At about 1:30 pm, CUAD posted a video to their Instagram story of an NYPD officer arresting a demonstrator. Bwog contacted the NYPD who reported that there were two arrests made during the protests. Charges are pending.

All images via Bwog Staff