The leadership at Columbia University in New York has set a deadline for anti-Israel protesters and administrators to reach an agreement to end the days-long encampment on campus.
On Tuesday night, university President Minouche Shafik set a deadline of midnight for an agreement with organizers of the encampment, which she says must include the dismantling of the encampment and dispersing of the protesters. The student protesters are also required to follow university policies moving forward.
If by the deadline, an agreement has not been made, Shafik said that administrators would “consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate.”
Columbia sets deadline for agreement with protesters, threatens 'alternative options' for clearing protesters https://t.co/Flqr1rlKIc
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“I also want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior. We are working to identify protesters who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and they will be put through appropriate disciplinary processes,” Shafik wrote.
“The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination is antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to be a community of mutual respect and kindness,” Shafik added.
Administrators later extended the deadline to 8 a.m., according to a student demonstrator.
A campus spokesperson would later release a statement around 3:15 a.m., saying that there was a 48-hour window for the negotiations. The spokesperson also revealed that the school administrators were hashing out four main agreements, which include students removing a significant number of the tents on the campus and that only Columbia students are left protesting.
Under the terms, student protesters would also be required to comply with FDNY safety implications and take steps to “make the encampment welcome to all and have prohibited discriminatory or harassing language.”
Protesters have said that they would not carry on with negotiations with the administration without a written promise that the New York City Police Department or the National Guard will not be used on the demonstrators.
While there have been calls for President Joe Biden to call in the National Guard to respond to the protests, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she has no plans to do that.
The campus, however, did have the NYPD’s riot police and counterterrorism unit standing by, per radio station WKCR. The police officers reportedly told the protesters in the camp that they could be arrested if they did not keep down their amplified noise makers or stop beating against barricades.
Last Thursday, the Ivy League school authorized police to sweep the encampment, leading to the arrest of over 100 protesters, including Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi.