Dozens
of
protesters
took
over
a
building
at
Columbia
University
in
New
York
early
Tuesday,
barricading
the
entrances
and
unfurling
a
Palestinian
flag
out
of
a
window
in
the
latest
escalation
of
demonstrations
against
the
Israel-Hamas
war
that
have
spread
to
college
campuses
nationwide.
Video
footage
showed
protesters
on
Columbia’s
Manhattan
campus
locking
arms
in
front
of
Hamilton
Hall
early
Tuesday
and
carrying
furniture
and
metal
barricades
to
the
building,
one
of
several
that
was
occupied
during
a
1968
civil
rights
and
anti-Vietnam
War
protest
on
the
campus.
Posts
on
an
Instagram
page
for
protest
organizers
shortly
after
midnight
urged
people
to
protect
the
encampment
and
join
them
at
Hamilton
Hall.
“An
autonomous
group
reclaimed
Hind’s
Hall,
previously
known
as
”Hamilton
Hall,”
in
honor
of
Hind
Rajab,
a
martyr
murdered
at
the
hands
of
the
genocidal
Israeli
state
at
the
age
of
six
years
old,”
CU
Apartheid
Divest
posted
on
X,
formerly
known
as
Twitter,
early
Tuesday.
The
student
radio
station, WKCR-FM,
broadcast
a
play-by-play
of
the
hall’s
takeover
–
which
occurred
nearly
12
hours
after
Monday’s
2
p.m.
deadline
for
the
protesters
to
leave
an
encampment
of
around
120
tents
or
face
suspension.
Representatives
for
the
university
did
not
immediately
respond
to
emails
requesting
comment
early
Tuesday
but
Public
Safety
said
in
a
statement
that
members
of
the
university
community
who
can
avoid
coming
to
the
Morningside
campus
Tuesday
should
do
so,
adding
that
essential
personnel
should
report
to
work.
In
the
X
post,
protestors
said
they
planned
to
remain
at
the
hall
until
the
university
conceded
to
the
CUAD’s
three
demands:
divestment,
financial
transparency
and
amnesty.
Universities
across
the
U.S.
are
grappling
with
how
to
clear
out
encampments
as
commencement
ceremonies
approach,
with
some
continuing
negotiations
and
others
turning
to
force
and
ultimatums
that
have
resulted
in
clashes
with
police.
Dozens
of
people
were
arrested
Monday
during
protests
at
universities
in
Texas,
Utah
and
Virginia,
while
Columbia
said
hours
before
the
takeover
of
Hamilton
Hall
that
it
had
started
suspending
students.
Demonstrators
are
sparring
over
the
Israel-Hamas
war
and
its
mounting
death
toll,
and
the
number
of
arrests
at
campuses
nationwide
is
approaching
1,000
as
the
final
days
of
class
wrap
up.
The
outcry
is
forcing
colleges
to
reckon
with
their
financial
ties
to
Israel,
as
well
as
their
support
for
free
speech.
Some
Jewish
students
say
the
protests
have
veered
into
antisemitism
and
made
them
afraid
to
set
foot
on
campus.
At
the
University
of
Texas
at
Austin,
an
attorney
said
at
least
40
demonstrators
were
arrested
Monday.
The
confrontation
was
an
escalation
on
the
53,000-student
campus
in
the
state’s
capital,
where
more
than
50
protesters
were
arrested
last
week.
Later
Monday,
dozens
of
officers
in
riot
gear
at
the
University
of
Utah
sought
to
break
up
an
encampment
outside
the
university
president’s
office
that
went
up
in
the
afternoon.
Police
dragged
students
off
by
their
hands
and
feet,
snapping
the
poles
holding
up
tents
and
zip-tying
those
who
refused
to
disperse.
Seventeen
people
were
arrested.
The
university
says
it’s
against
code
to
camp
overnight
on
school
property
and
that
the
students
were
given
several
warnings
to
disperse
before
police
were
called
in.
The
plight
of
students
who
have
been
arrested
has
become
a
central
part
of
protests,
with
the
students
and
a
growing
number
of
faculty
demanding
amnesty
for
protesters.
At
issue
is
whether
the
suspensions
and
legal
records
will
follow
students
through
their
adult
lives.
The
Texas
protest
and
others
—
including
in
Canada
and
Europe
—
grew
out
of
Columbia’s
early
demonstrations
that
have
continued.
On
Monday,
student
activists
defied
the
2
p.m.
deadline
to
leave
the
encampment.
Instead,
hundreds
of
protesters
remained.
A
handful
of
counter-demonstrators
waved
Israeli
flags,
and
one
held
a
sign
reading,
“Where
are
the
anti-Hamas
chants?”
While
the
university
didn’t
call
police
to
roust
the
demonstrators,
school
spokesperson
Ben
Chang
said
suspensions
had
started
but
could
provide
few
details.
Protest
organizers
said
they
were
not
aware
of
any
suspensions
as
of
Monday
evening.
Photos:
Pro-Palestinian
demonstrations
on
US
college
campuses
Columbia’s
handling
of
the
demonstrations
also
has
prompted
federal
complaints.
A
class-action
lawsuit
on
behalf
of
Jewish
students
alleges
a
breach
of
contract
by
Columbia,
claiming
the
university
failed
to
maintain
a
safe
learning
environment,
despite
policies
and
promises.
It
also
challenges
the
move
away
from
in-person
classes
and
seeks
quick
court
action
requiring
Columbia
to
provide
security
for
the
students.
Meanwhile,
a
legal
group
representing
pro-Palestinian
students
is
urging
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education’s
civil
rights
office
to
investigate
Columbia’s
compliance
with
the
Civil
Rights
Act
of
1964
for
how
they
have
been
treated.
A
university
spokesperson
declined
to
comment
on
the
complaints.
In
a
rare
case,
Northwestern
University
said
it
reached
an
agreement
with
students
and
faculty
who
represent
the
majority
of
protesters
on
its
campus
near
Chicago.
It
allows
peaceful
demonstrations
through
the
June
1
end
of
spring
classes
and
in
exchange,
requires
removal
of
all
tents
except
one
for
aid,
and
restricts
the
demonstration
area
to
allow
only
students,
faculty
and
staff
unless
the
university
approves
otherwise.
At
the
University
of
Southern
California,
organizers
of
a
large
encampment
sat
down
with
university
President
Carol
Folt
for
about
90
minutes
on
Monday.
Folt
declined
to
discuss
details
but
said
she
heard
the
concerns
of
protesters
and
talks
would
continue
Tuesday.
USC
sparked
a
controversy
April
15
when
officials
refused
to
allow
the
valedictorian,
who
has
publicly
supported
Palestinians,
to
make
a
commencement
speech,
citing
nonspecific
security
concerns
for
their
rare
decision.
Administrators
then
scrapped
the
keynote
speech
by
filmmaker
Jon
M.
Chu,
who
is
an
alumnus,
and
declined
to
award
any
honorary
degrees.
The
backlash,
as
well
as
Columbia’s
demonstrations,
inspired
the
encampment
and
protests
on
campus
last
week
week
where
90
people
were
arrested
by
police
in
riot
gear.
The
university
has
canceled
its
main
graduation
event.
Administrators
elsewhere
tried
to
salvage
their
commencements
and
several
have
ordered
the
clearing
of
encampments
in
recent
days.
When
those
efforts
have
failed,
officials
threatened
discipline,
including
suspension,
and
possible
arrest.
But
students
dug
in
their
heels
at
other
high-profile
universities,
with
standoffs
continuing
at
Harvard,
the
University
of
Pennsylvania,
Yale
and
others.
Police
in
riot
gear
at
Virginia
Commonwealth
University
sought
to
break
up
an
encampment
there
late
Monday
and
clashed
with
protesters.
___
Vertuno
reported
from
Austin,
Texas,
and
Mattise
reported
from
Nashville,
Tennessee.
Associated
Press
journalists
around
the
country
contributed
to
this
report,
including
Hannah
Schoenbaum,
Sarah
Brumfield,
Stefanie
Dazio,
Christopher
Weber,
Carolyn
Thompson,
David
Collins,
Makiya
Seminera
and
Corey
Williams.