NEW YORK (AP) — Columbia University said it was beginning to suspend students who defied an ultimatum to leave the encampment there by an afternoon deadline.
The notice sent by Columbia to protesters in the encampment Monday said that if they leave by 2 p.m. and sign a form committing to abide by university policies through June 2025 or an earlier graduation, they can finish the semester in good standing. If not, the letter said, they will be suspended, pending further investigation.
After the deadline, Columbia began suspending students, according to school spokesperson Ben Chang.
Instead, the students continued chanting, clapping and drumming from the encampment of more than 300 people. No officials appeared to enter the encampment, with at least 120 tents staying up as the deadline passed. Hundreds of protesters marched around the quad, weaving around piles of temporary flooring and green carpeting meant for graduation ceremonies. A handful of counter-demonstrators waved Israeli flags, and one held a sign reading, “Where are the anti-Hamas chants?”
“University representatives engaged in good faith dialogue with the organizers and maintain that dialogue,” Chang said. “We were hopeful and we were disappointed when the student protesters couldn’t reach consensus on the issues under discussion.”
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