Columbia University's decision to act against pro-Palestine student demonstrators who had been occupying its South Lawn, culminated in suspensions and subsequent arrests of more than 108 protesters in the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and a harsh rebuke from scholars from across the world.
“The issue for us on campus is freedom of expression,” said Dr. Najam Haider, chair of religion at Barnard College, a private women's liberal arts college that is part of Columbia.
Dr. Najam Haider
He said that Columbia and Barnard both pride themselves on political activism and added that efforts to quell protest comes as a violation of the basic principles that these institutions have long fought for.
“Some of us in faculty have different positions when it comes to the issue of Israel and Palestine. But the one thing that unites us as the faculty is our commitment to the students' right to protest, their right to freedom of expression,” said Haider, who is part of Columbia's Center for Palestine Studies. “What disturbs us more than anything else is that that principle itself – one of the bedrock principles of higher education in this country – is under attack."
Universities have long been sites of student political expression and protest, said Barnard history professor Dr. Premilla Nadasen. In the1980s, Columbia students similarly confronted the administration about its investments in apartheid South Africa.
“While the encampment has been dismantled, our community has had protest activity on campus since October, and we expect that activity to continue,” a Columbia spokesperson shared. “We have rules regarding the time, place, and manner that apply to protest activity, and we will continue to enforce those.
“We remain in regular contact with our students and student groups and are committed to ensuring the core functions of the University continue.”
