Student protesters at Columbia University declared Tuesday morning that they have taken over a building near the campus’s South Lawn, raising the prospect of further turmoil at the Ivy League institution. Hours earlier, the university started suspending students who refused to leave a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus grounds.
A statement posted by student groups said protesters have “taken matters into their own hands,” adding that the students plan to remain in Hamilton Hall until Columbia divests financially from Israel. A video shared by the group showed rows of students entering the building, carrying barricades.
Columbia said Tuesday that it has limited access to the Morningside campus to students residing on campus and essential staff, with only one point of entry and exit open. Overnight, the university texted students and faculty members, warning of “major protest activity on the Morningside campus in and around Hamilton Hall” and urging them to “avoid [the] vicinity if possible.”
At the University of Texas at Austin, police in riot gear arrested and pepper-sprayed pro-Palestinian protesters Monday afternoon. At least 79 were arrested, according to the Travis County sheriff.
So far, more than 1,200 people have been arrested on campuses nationwide, according to a count kept by The Washington Post.
