Mass Arrests at Columbia-108 Protestors Detained at Gaza Rally—Details Inside

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, over 108 protesters were held at Columbia University in New York City during a rally in support of Gaza. This caused a lot of trouble. The arrests came at the end of a week of rising emotions caused by a protest camp run by students. Check out “Mass Arrests at Columbia: 108 Protesters Detained at Gaza Rally—Details Inside” to learn more.

“Gaza Solidarity Encampment” Sparks University Action

Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (CSJP) set up a two-circle camp of tents on the center green of campus on Wednesday, the first day of the events that would happen this week. A “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and a “Liberated Zone” were written on banners that marked the protest area. At the same time as this move, President Nemat Minouche Shafik of Columbia University spoke to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce about antisemitism on college campuses.

Officials at the university saw the camp as a nuisance and a possible safety risk. Some politicians put pressure on President Shafik, so he asked the NYPD to help him take down the tents.

Standoff Leads to Clashes and Arrests

As the day went on, tensions rose, and on Thursday, the NYPD stepped in. Videos going around the internet show police breaking down the camp and arresting protesters, some of whom tried to fight back. Over 108 people were jailed for trespassing, including at least one student from Barnard College. Two of the protesters were also charged with obstructing government operations.

One of those taken was Isra Hirsi, who is a student at Columbia and the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar. Afterward, news sites said that Hirsi was suspended from the university, but the exact reason is still unknown.

Fallout and Unanswered Questions

Student activists and human rights groups are very angry about the large number of arrests. CSJP spoke out against the university’s moves, saying they were stifling free speech and supporting the people who were arrested.

The event has brought up the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the right to protest again on college campuses. Officials at the university still say that the camp violated school rules and slowed down university business.

The protesters who were arrested still don’t know what the legal effects will be. It’s not clear if the university will take any other punishments against the students who took part besides suspending them.

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Conclusion:

The large number of arrests at Columbia University show how complicated and touchy the Israel-Palestine conflict is, especially at American colleges. The event brings up important questions about free speech, activism on college campuses. And the role of universities in handling these touchy topics. I hope that all the news about “Mass Arrests at Columbia—108 Protesters Detained at Gaza Rally—Details Inside” gets to you.

Disclaimer: Note that this story is based on reports from different news outlets and may show different points of view on what happened at Columbia University.