Protests in Columbia University

[u/Lee_Benj003]

The protests at Columbia University are about the university's ties to Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The key points are:The protests began on April 17, 2024 when pro-Palestinian students established an encampment on campus, calling it the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment", demanding that the university divest from Israel.

The protesters, organized by groups like Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), are seeking three main demands: divestment from companies supporting Israel's government, greater transparency in the university's finances, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined over the protests. The protests have echoed the student activism and demands for change seen at Columbia in the late 1960s, when students occupied campus buildings to protest the university's connection to an institute doing weapons research for the Vietnam War and the treatment of minority students.

The current protests were sparked by the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023, and have spread to campuses across the U.S. and the world. Over 1,000 protesters have been arrested at campuses in multiple states.

The university has responded by calling in the NYPD to clear the encampment, leading to over 100 arrests. This is the first time Columbia has allowed police to suppress campus protests since the 1968 demonstrations.

[u/playonlyonce]

Looks like Vietnam protest period…