Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he ‘doesn’t feel comfortable’ donating to Columbia amid protests

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft signaled Monday that he will no longer donate to Columbia University as pro-Palestinian protests continue at his alma mater for a sixth day.

On a statement issued through At his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Kraft said he is “deeply saddened by the virulent hatred” at Columbia and other schools across the country.

“I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and employees, and I do not feel comfortable supporting the university until corrective measures are taken,” Kraft wrote. I am hopeful that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hatred, immediately end these protests, and work to regain the respect and trust of many of us who have lost faith in the institution.”

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations lasted six days at Columbia University, where more than 100 student protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing. Protesters are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, along with the suspension of US military aid to Israel.

Columbia leadership authorized the New York Police Department to arrest students involved in the protests and informed students that they would also be suspended from school.

The arrests appear to have done little to quell the protests, with demonstrations expanding in recent days in the wake of opposition. Similar protests have also erupted on other college campuses in recent days.

Concerns have been raised about the safety of Jewish students at Columbia, prompting the university to move classes online starting Monday. The announcement came hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

A rise in anti-Semitism has been reported in recent months following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, although a significant portion of the students protesting are Jewish. Several protest groups reacted against the characterization of their demonstrations as anti-Semitic.

Kraft, who was raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, in a practicing Orthodox Jewish family, said he hopes The Kraft Center in Columbia can serve as a “source of security” for all Jewish students and faculty on campus.

The start of the protest camps began last Wednesday, the same day that Columbia President Minouche Shafik testified before the House Education Committee about anti-Semitism on campus.

His testimony, along with his arrest order, led to calls from politicians from both parties to control the protests and resign from his position.