Anti-Israel protesters at Columbia seeking amnesty, demand university 'divest' from Israel
Fox News' Bryan Llenas reports the latest on the campus chaos from New York City.
Columbia University students who don't clear out encampments by Monday afternoon will be suspended, the school announced Monday.
Anti-Israel protesters have occupied Columbia's campus for over a week, demanding the school divest from Israel while it wages war against Hamas in Gaza.
Columbia announced that negotiations with student protesters had come to "an impasse" and their encampment was "creating an unwelcoming environment" and "safety concerns" for the community and its neighbors. Furthermore, it violated various campus policies regarding conduct, disruptive behavior, vandalism and harassment, school leaders said.
The university warned protesters they must clear out their belongings and identify themselves to school officials by 2 p.m. Monday or face suspension.
A pro-Palestine rally is held at the steps of Lowe Library on the grounds of Columbia University on April 22, 2024, in New York City. In response to recent campus unrest and anxieties regarding Jewish student safety, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced a shift to online learning for Monday. She further urged faculty and staff to prioritize remote work. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
"Please promptly gather your belongings and leave the encampment. If you voluntarily leave by 2 p.m., identify yourself to a University official, and sign the provided form where you commit to abide by all University policies through June 30, 2025, or the date of the conferral of your degree, whichever is earlier, you will be eligible to complete the semester in good standing," university officials wrote in a notice letter to the encampment on Monday morning.
"If you do not identify yourself upon leaving and sign the form now, you will not be eligible to sign and complete the semester in good standing. If you do not leave by 2 p.m., you will be suspended pending further investigation," it warns.
The university has the right to pursue disciplinary actions against students who do not comply, the notice said, including "probation, access restriction, suspension for a term or more and expulsion."
The statement doesn't mention whether police would forcibly clear the encampment after the deadline.
Columbia University, where students have set up what is being referred to as a Gaza Solidarity Encampment, is shown in New York on April 24, 2024. (Getty Images)
Columbia urged protesters to clear the encampments to allow for the May 15 graduation ceremonies.
"We urge you to remove the encampment so that we do not deprive your fellow students, their families and friends of this momentous occasion," the notice continued. The university would offer "an alternative venue for demonstrations" after exams and graduation.
However, anti-Israel student protesters vowed not to comply with the university's deadline and fired back with demands of their own.
Students are asking for universal "amnesty," protecting them from punishments for their demonstrations and encampments.
"At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the charges and withhold other consequences, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow students into their adult lives," according to The Associated Press.
In a social media post, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine urged students to "not sign anything with administration" and show up at noon to protest.
In the past 10 days, hundreds of students have been arrested, suspended, put on probation and, in rare cases, expelled from colleges, including Yale University, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University and the University of Minnesota.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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