Columbia sets deadline for protesters to leave campus

1. What do student protesters at US universities want?

   Protests against the war in Gaza are now roiling dozens of college campuses across the US.

   Tensions quickly flared at American universities after October 7. But over the past two weeks, those tensions have boiled over.

   Students are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and that their schools, many with massive endowments, financially divest from Israel. Divestment means to sell or otherwise drop financial ties.

   Student activists say that companies doing business in or with the nation of Israel are complicit in its ongoing war on Gaza - and so are the colleges that invest in those companies.

   University endowments fund everything from research labs to scholarship funds, mostly using returns from millions - and billions - of dollars in investments. They own shares of large companies from Amazon to Microsoft, and put money into private equity, hedge funds and index funds.

   You can read more about the student protests here.

2. Protest group says it will not leave

   

   Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

   Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the main groups involved with the encampment, vowed to defy the order to leave or face suspension.

   In a post on X, formerly Twitter, and the group called on activists to "protect the encampment".

   "Do not sign anything with administration," the group wrote.

3. The looming deadline to leave or face suspension

   On Monday morning, university president Nemat "Minouche" Shafik revealed in a statement that "since Wednesday, a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogues with student organisers to find a path that would result in the dismantling of the encampment".

   "Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement," she said.

   At the weekend, the school denied rumours of "an impending lockdown or evictions on campus" and told students it had no plans to bring back police "at this time".

   But in a new letter circulated to encampment organisers, the school warned it "will need to initiate disciplinary procedures because of a number of violations of university policies".

   Students were instructed that, if they voluntarily leave the protest and sign a form accepting "an Alternative Resolution" by 1400 local time, they will be allowed to complete their semesters.

   Those who do not will be unable to close out the semester and will be temporarily barred from campus, with those scheduled to graduate no longer eligible to do so.

4. Letter to university says protests have become 'breeding ground' for antisemitism

   Columbia University in New York has become the focal point of the country's debates over the war in Gaza and US support for Israel, as well as fears that antisemitism is putting Jewish students in danger.

   "It is past time for the university to act decisively, disband the encampment, and ensure the safety and security of all of its students," a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote on Monday in a letter to the school's board of trustees.

   The letter, signed by leading pro-Israeli voices and high-profile Jewish members of Congress, described the encampment as a "breeding ground for antisemitic attacks on Jewish students".

   "The time for negotiation is over; the time for action is now," the 21 Democrats wrote, calling on board members to resign if they were unwilling to act.

5. Watch: How Gaza campus protests spread across the US

   Video content

   Video caption: See how Gaza campus protests spread across the USSee how Gaza campus protests spread across the US

6. Columbia students must 'disband or face suspension'

   

   Brandon Livesay

   Reporting from New York

   Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the university protests in the US, where pro-Palestinian protest groups have set up encampments across multiple college campuses.

   The movement ignited at Columbia University on 18 April, when New York police officers were called in and arrested more than 100 students.

   Today, the focus is once again on Columbia. University administrators have ordered students participating in the ongoing pro-Gaza campus encampment to disband or face disciplinary action.

   In a letter on Monday, the school warned of interim suspensions for all students who do not voluntarily leave the protest by 1400 EST (1800 GMT).

   Stick with us as we bring you the latest updates as the deadline approaches.