University protesters settle in for 10th day
students at an encampment at Columbia University who inspired a wave of pro-palestinian demonstrations across America dug in for their 10th day yesterday. It comes as administrators and police at college campuses from California to Connecticut wrestle with how to address protests that have seen scuffles with police and hundreds of arrests.
Officials at Columbia and some other schools have been negotiating with student protesters who have rebuffed police and doubled down. Other schools have quickly turned to law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold.
After a tent encampment popped up on Thursday at Indiana University Bloomington, police with shields and batons shoved into protesters and arrested 33. Hours later at the University of Connecticut, police tore down tents and arrested one person.
The clock is ticking as May commencement ceremonies near, putting added pressure on schools to clear demonstrations.
At Columbia, protesters defiantly erected a tent encampment where many are set to graduate in front of families in just a few weeks.
Columbia officials said negotiations were showing progress as they neared the school’s deadline to reach an agreement on dismantling the encampment.
Nevertheless, two police buses were parked nearby and there was a noticeable presence of private security and police at entrances to the campus.
“We have our demands; they have theirs,” said Ben Chang, a spokesman for Columbia University, adding if the talks fail the university will have to consider other options.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, has been negotiating with students who have been barricaded inside a campus building since Monday, rebuffing an attempt by the police to clear them out. Faculty members met with protesters to try to negotiate a solution as the campus remains shut down.
The protesters setting up encampments at universities across the country are demanding schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict.
Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus, which has partly prompted the calls for police intervention.