NEW YORK — Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at U.S. universities, some of whom clashed with police in riot gear, stormed Saturday and vowed to hold their demonstrations, while several colleges condemned university presidents who called on authorities to remove protesters.
As Columbia University continues negotiations with students at a pro-Palestinian student camp on the school’s New York campus, the university’s Senate passed a resolution on Friday that created a task force to examine the government’s leadership, who last week called in the police in an attempt to clear the protest, resulting in fights and more than 100 arrests.
Although the university has repeatedly set and postponed deadlines for removing the encampment, the school sent an email to students Friday night saying that bringing back police “at this time” would be counterproductive, adding that they hope negotiations show “concrete signs of progress tonight.”
As the death toll from the war in Gaza rises, protesters across the country are demanding that schools cut financial ties with Israel and divest from companies they say are facilitating the conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have turned into anti-Semitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus.
The decisions to appeal to authorities, which led to hundreds of arrests across the country, prompted faculty members at universities in California, Georgia and Texas to initiate or pass votes of no confidence in their leadership. These are largely symbolic reprimands, without the power to remove their presidents.
But the tensions add pressure to school officials, who are already struggling to resolve protests as May graduation ceremonies approach.
California State Polytechnic University Humboldt told protesters who barricaded themselves inside a building from Monday until 5 p.m. Friday to leave and “not be immediately arrested.” The deadline came and went. Only some of the protesters left, others doubled down. After protesters rebuffed police earlier in the week, the campus was closed for the rest of the semester.
In Colorado, police swept an encampment Friday at Denver’s Auraria Campus, home to three universities and colleges, arresting about 40 protesters on trespassing charges.
Students representing Camp Columbia, which inspired the wave of protests across the country, said Friday they have reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue the protest.
After meetings on Thursday and Friday, student negotiators said the university had not met its main divestment demand, although progress had been made in pushing for more transparent financial disclosures.
“We will not rest until Columbia disbands,” said Jonathan Ben-Menachem, a fourth-year doctoral student.
In the letter sent to Columbia students Friday night, university leadership said “we support the conversations that are ongoing with the camp’s student leaders.”
Columbia President Minouche Shafik faced significant criticism from faculty on Friday but maintained support from trustees.
A report by the university senate’s executive committee, which represents the faculty, concluded that Shafik and his administration took “many actions and decisions that harmed Columbia University.” This included calling the police and allowing students to be arrested without consulting faculty, misrepresenting and suspending student protest groups, and hiring private investigators.
“The faculty has completely lost confidence in President Shafik’s ability to lead this organization,” said Ege Yumusak, a philosophy professor who is part of a faculty team protecting the camp.
In response, university spokesman Ben Chang said in the evening that “we are committed to continued dialogue and appreciate the Senate’s constructive engagement in finding a way forward.”
Also on Friday, Columbia student protester Khymani James walked back comments made in an online video in January that recently received new attention. James said in the video that “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and people should be grateful that James didn’t kill them.
“What I said was wrong,” James said in a statement. “Every member of our community deserves to feel safe without qualification.”
James, who served as a spokesman for the pro-Palestinian camp as a member of Columbia University’s Apartheid Divest, was banned from campus on Friday, according to a Columbia spokesperson.
Protest organizers said James’ comments did not reflect their values. They declined to describe James’ level of involvement in the demonstration.
Police clashed with protesters Thursday at Indiana University Bloomington, where 34 were arrested; Ohio State University, where about 36 people were arrested; and the University of Connecticut, where one person was arrested.
The University of Southern California on Thursday canceled its May 10 graduation ceremony, a day after more than 90 protesters were arrested on campus. The university said it will still host dozens of graduation events, including all traditional individual school ceremonies.
Universities where faculty members have initiated or passed votes of no confidence in their presidents include Cal Poly Humboldt, the University of Texas at Austin and Emory University.
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Perry reported from Meredith, New Hampshire. Associated Press journalists in various locations contributed, including Aaron Morrison, Stefanie Dazio, Kathy McCormack, Jim Vertuno, Acacia Coronado, Sudhin Thanawala, Jeff Amy, Jeff Martin, Mike Stewart, Collin Binkley, Carolyn Thompson, Jake Offenhartz, Jesse Bedayn and Sophia Tareen .
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