Iran Press/ America: Demonstrators set up what they are calling the Gaza Solidarity Encampment in the University Center lobby at the New School, a private university in New York City, on Sunday. They have remained there since.
New School administrators ended negotiations with demonstrators without a resolution, the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine said on social media Monday. They implored community members to join at the University Center to prevent arrests and suspensions from moving forward.
The New School Free Press student-run newspaper reported that Monday's negotiations with Mark Diaz, the executive vice president for Business Operations at the university, were intended to discuss divestment from "corporations benefiting from and complicit in the ongoing genocide and apartheid against Palestinian people." Full financial transparency from the university was also to be addressed. But the meeting was called off after protesters refused demands from the administration to immediately disband.
The newspaper reported that the New School's Student Conduct and Community Standards Office issued a statement warning students taking part in the demonstration that they face disciplinary actions including expulsion, "interim suspension," and unspecified warnings.
Protests against Israel's war against Gaza have intensified on college campuses after Columbia University asked the NYPD last week to arrest demonstrators staging a sit-in on a college lawn. More than 100 people were arrested on Thursday.
Israel's offensive on Gaza has displaced more than 75% of its residents and resulted in over 34,000 deaths, according to Gaza health officials. Israel has also targeted Gaza's places of higher education with all of its 12 major universities being destroyed.
Demonstrators are demanding that universities divest from Israel-linked firms and condemn Israel's assault on Gaza. Counter-protesters in support of Israel have said the protests veer into antisemitism and make Jewish students feel unsafe.
The situation at US universities regarding the ongoing war in Gaza is escalating, with protests and arrests taking place at Columbia University, New York University, and Yale. The crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests has led to calls for action to protect Jewish students on campus.
The letter from senators to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona urges immediate action to restore order and ensure the safety of Jewish students. The arrests at NYU and Yale, as well as the switch to online classes at Columbia due to protests, highlight the tensions on college campuses.
The call for Columbia President Minouche Shafik to step down by New York Republicans in the House of Representatives further underscores the divide on campus. The destruction of universities in Gaza and the displacement of residents add to the urgency of the situation.
Protests demanding divestment from Israel-linked firms and condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza continue, with counter-protesters raising concerns about antisemitism. The need for dialogue and understanding on college campuses is crucial in addressing these complex issues. 204
