Columbia University's President Nemat Minouche Shafik authorized the New York Police Department to disband a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on Thursday, resulting in the arrest of 108 demonstrators. Among those suspended from the university was Isra Hirsi, the daughter of controversial US Congress member Ilhan Omar, who had voiced support for the protesters during a campus hearing on antisemitism.
Hirsi and other suspended students received notices from Barnard College, an affiliate of Columbia. The clash at Columbia University echoes the protests against the Vietnam War at the school over 50 years ago. Protesters demanded a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US military aid for Israel, and university divestment from companies profiting from Israel's actions.
The encampment was organized by a coalition of student groups including Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace. Meanwhile, at the University of Southern California, about 500 demonstrators marched in support of Asna Tabassum, a Muslim student whose valedictorian speech was canceled by the university citing safety concerns. Tabassum and her supporters allege that the university sought to silence her due to her opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza.
