By Paras Abbasi, Tarang Jain, and Yasmine Marie Garay

On April 18, in a university-wide email, Columbia University’s President Minouche Shafik made a decision she “hoped would never be necessary.” The New York Police Department (NYPD) marched onto the Columbia campus to remove the protesting students on President Shafik’s authority.  

Hundreds of Columbia students set up tents in the South Lawn in the early hours of April 17, to protest and demand for ‘divestment from all of Columbia’s finances, including the endowment, from companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine, and ensure accountability by increasing transparency around financial investments.’ 

The ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ according to student protesters was inspired by the 1968 occupation of Hamilton Hall against the Vietnam War and Columbia’s long history of student activism. The protesters started getting paper notices from the University around 7 PM on April 17 warning them to “immediately cease your participation in this encampment and leave the campus.” The letter also warned that students who did not comply by 9 PM would face interim suspensions “pending investigation for possible violation of multiple University policies.”

The Gaza Solidarity Encampment demonstration coincided with President Shafiq’s Congressional hearing. The University administration also sent out a detailed email on April 14 about limiting access to the Morningside campus to only Columbia University ID holders, from April 15 to April 19. The email also specified the closure of various gates “out of an abundance of caution based on information received about activities that may impact campus this week,” as well as the presence of the New York Police Department (NYPD) on and around the campus. 

Despite notices from the University administration, hundreds of students supported the campers and brought food, water, blankets, and waterproof clothing for them throughout the day and during the night. 

As Thursday (April 18) morning dawned, the student encampment in support of Gaza remained on the South Lawn. The students in the encampment continued to protest peacefully around the tents, as they had been doing for the past day and night. Other Columbia students surrounded the lawn in a show of support and solidarity, providing essentials until security began refusing to let students bring food to the protesters. 

Outside Columbia’s gates on Amsterdam Avenue, law enforcement began readying their forces. Police in riot gear wielded rubber batons just outside the perimeter of campus, backdropped against rows of squad cars and several white-and-blue buses with “Corrections” branded on their sides. 

At 1:19 PM, President Shafik sent out an email informing the Columbia community that she had decided to authorize the NYPD to infiltrate Columbia and clear the student encampment. In a letter to the NYPD, linked in the email, President Shafik stated that all student protestors in the encampment had been suspended, were violating university policies, and were trespassing on university property. She directed the NYPD to remove the students from the South Lawn immediately. 

Within minutes of the email reaching the Columbia community, the NYPD, which had already encircled the South Lawn, mobilized. They pushed past the hundreds of students protecting the encampment and started making arrests. Donning riot masks and batons, police began clearing the encampment and forcefully removing protestors. In a mass arrest that started at 1:27 PM, the NYPD arrested at least 108 student protestors, zip-tied them in front of Butler Library and dragged them to the “Correction” buses

The NYPD destroyed the encampment on the South Lawn, tearing down tents and taking away student possessions from the encampment area. All camping equipment and students’ possessions were discarded and tossed into an alleyway between dorm buildings. 

According to TMP’s sources, at least one SIPA student is among the arrested students. In a statement to TMP, SIPA Student Association (SIPASA) President, Felix Wang, condemned the arrests and said that the board has “reached out to the SIPA administration for clarification on how they will support our students.” In an email sent out earlier yesterday, SIPASA also condemned Shafik’s decision to authorize student arrests by the NYPD and urged SIPA administration “to not repeat the mistakes made by the university administration” and prioritize student safety. 

The University Senate's Executive Committee student representatives, in an email on April 18, clarified that they “vehemently condemn bringing police into our campus community and the subsequent arrests of students.” The Committee representatives said that they would continue to stand against such measures and uphold the principles of shared governance across all constituencies.

Standing in solidarity with the dismantled encampment and arrested protesters, Columbia students occupied the west side of the South Lawn shortly after the arrests began and have continued to peacefully protest.

Paras Abbasi (MPA ‘24) is the Managing Editor at The Morningside Post.

Tarang Jain (MIA ‘25) is the Editor-in-Chief at The Morningside Post.

Yasmine Marie Garay (MPA ‘25) is the Opinions Editor at The Morningside Post.