Columbia University to hold classes remotely as tensions over campus protests escalate

Published Apr 21, 2024

Modified Apr 22, 2024 at 7:15 a.m. ET

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Published Apr 21, 2024

Modified Apr 22, 2024 at 7:15 a.m. ET

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Columbia University will hold all classes remotely on Monday as student protests over the Israel-Hamas war and reports of antisemitic incidents continue to roil the school's Morningside Heights campus, the university's president announced overnight.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik made the announcement in an early-morning statement, saying the shift to virtual learning was meant to "deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps." She said the university's "preference" was for students who live off campus to remain there, and that staff who can work remotely "should do so."

"The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days," Shafik said. "These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas. We need a reset."

Pro-Palestinian protests continued at the university over the weekend, despite the NYPD’s arrests on Thursday of more than 100 people who were protesting the war in Gaza by refusing to leave a campus lawn.

Police said they made three arrests at demonstrations on Saturday. Elected officials from city, state and federal offices also issued statements on Sunday condemning some of the rhetoric reportedly used around the demonstrations.

Reactions to the unrest poured in just three days after Shafik requested police assistance in ordering demonstrators off the lawn “out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia’s campus,” resulting in 113 arrests, according to police.

Social media footage of Saturday’s protests shows police cars encircling the campus as protesting students chant in unison, while others hold signs and wave flags. In other social media posts, police can be seen in riot gear attempting to control the crowd as protests continued for hours.

Shafik said in her statement on Monday that she was "happy to engage" in discussions about whether the university should use police on campus. "But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view," she added. "Let’s sit down and talk and argue and find ways to compromise on solutions."

Some of the videos posted to social media by the Jewish group Chabad at Columbia University over the weekend show some demonstrators shouting harassing comments at Jewish students on campus, such as “go back to Poland,” "stop killing children" and "all you do is colonize.”

Mayor Eric Adams urged officials at the university to keep in close contact with the NYPD going forward. He said the authorities “stand ready to respond” if another incident occurs, but noted the school is a private institution and so must request police assistance on campus, should it want any, as was the case last Thursday.

“As I have repeatedly said, hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law that is reported,” Adams said in a statement on Sunday. “Rest assured, the NYPD will not hesitate to arrest anyone who is found to be breaking the law.”

The situation at Columbia is the latest in a series of student demonstrations at the city’s colleges and universities in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. It's led to months of unrest across several campuses citywide as students challenge school administrations over their response to the conflict, as well as their handling of campus protests.

At Columbia, President Shafik recently imposed new restrictions on campus demonstrations, which were put to the test after the police were called to break up the encampment of pro-Palestine protesters on campus on April 18. The arrests also spurred students at neighboring universities to host similar protests in solidarity.

Other elected officials echoed the mayor’s denouncement of some of the reported rhetoric at or near the demonstrations.

“The First Amendment protects the right to protest but students also have a right to learn in an environment free from harassment or violence,” Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on social media on Sunday. “At Columbia or on any campus, threatening Jewish students with violence or glorifying the terror of October 7 is antisemitism.”

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said she was “appalled at the virulent antisemitism being displayed” at Columbia.

“Threats of violence against Jewish students and the Jewish community are horrible, despicable and wholly unacceptable,” she said in a statement on Sunday. “Using the rhetoric of terrorists has no place in New York, where we pride ourselves on tolerance and the right of every group to practice their religion in peace.”

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates also issued a statement on Sunday condemning “calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community.”

“Echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organizations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable,” he said. “We condemn these statements in the strongest terms.”

Columbia University did not immediately respond to Gothamist's requests for comment on Sunday.

This story has been updated with Columbia President Minouche Shafik's April 22 statement.

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Giulia Heyward is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers politics and breaking news. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-715-1458.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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