Columbia began to suspend students who did not disperse from the encampment by 2 p.m. Monday.
Topline
Columbia University said Monday it has begun suspending pro-Palestinian protesters who remained in an encampment at the university despite a 2 p.m. EDT deadline from the school to disperse, as the Ivy League school—and colleges nationwide—grapple with weeks of tense protests over the Israel-Hamas war.Key Facts
Columbia said in a 5:30 p.m. update on its website it was suspending students who did not abide by the 2 p.m. deadline “to ensure safety on our campus,” while students who left the encampment and agreed to identify themselves would be allowed to finish the semester.
The university—which has been dealing with the encampment since April 17—gave students the deadline by distributing leaflets warning students who don’t leave could face “probation, access restriction, suspension for a term or more and expulsion,” according to multiple reports.
The encampment was not dismantled by the deadline, though, and some Columbia faculty and students surrounded the encampment while others remained, CNN’s Omar Jimenez posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
If students left the encampment, identified themselves and signed a form agreeing “to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier,” the university said they would be eligible to complete the semester in good standing.
