Columbia University updates: School begins suspending protesters [Video]

Pro-Palestinian protesters encamped at Columbia University defied a 2 p.m. deadline to leave an encampment of around 120 tents on the school’s Manhattan campus. Instead, hundreds of protesters marched around the quad, clapping, chanting and weaving around piles of temporary flooring and green carpeting meant for graduation ceremonies that are supposed to begin next week.

A spokesperson for Columbia confirmed the letter had gone out to students but declined to comment further, according to the Associated Press.

The letter contained a form requiring students to sign their commitment to abide by university policies through June 2025 or an earlier graduation, they can finish the semester in good standing. If not, the letter said, they would be suspended, pending further investigation.

The warning comes after Columbia President Minouche Shafik said the university ‘will not divest from Israel’ in a statement made this morning.

Shafik said, in part, “While the University will not divest from Israel, …