The student demonstration expanded into the interior of Columbia University at night. The protesters refuse to leave the campus.
Jenny Matikainen,
Eeva Sarlin,
Marja Väänänen
At Columbia University, students supporting and demonstrating for Palestine took over one of the campus buildings at night.
Newspaper of the New York Times according to the students left their tent camp after midnight and entered a building called Hamilton Hall.
At two o’clock on Monday afternoon, the deadline set by the university’s management expired, by which time it required the protesters to leave. The university said it would suspend the right to study for students who continue to protest.
The students refused to obey, and the situation turned in the opposite direction.
Video footage shows protesters building a barricade at the entrance to Hamilton Hall. A group of people have lowered a sheet from the window with the text “Hind’s Hall”. According to the news agency Reuters, it is a tribute to Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old girl who died in Gaza two months ago.
Hind Rajab disappeared when she and her relatives left Gaza City by car to escape the Israeli attack. The girl managed to call 911 in the midst of the gunfire, but was later found dead.
Demonstrations at several universities
Demonstrations in support of Palestine have continued in the United States at several universities for a couple of weeks now. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested in protests that have spread to dozens of universities. Columbia University has already canceled face-to-face teaching and a Californian university canceled its graduation party due to fear of unrest.
Pro-Israel counter-protesters have accused Palestinian protesters of anti-Semitism and supporting violence against Jews.