On Tuesday morning, masked individuals vandalized the university campus by breaking windows and blocking doors with metal tables, creating a threatening environment for Jewish students and staff, as well as disrupting teaching and studying for final exams. The demonstrators had escalated the situation by refusing to leave the building peacefully when given the opportunity.
Columbia University spokesman Ben Chang issued a warning to students who occupied buildings, stating that there would be consequences if they continued their actions. Negotiations between the university management and demonstrators had been ongoing, with a key demand from the protesters being that Columbia University divest from companies with ties to Israel. However, the university president made it clear that there were no plans to withdraw investments from Israel.
Protests in support of Palestinians in Gaza and against Israel’s actions led to a wave of demonstrations at other universities across the country. Over the weekend, more than 350 protest participants were arrested nationwide. The university had called in police to address the protests in mid-April, resulting in further arrests.