New York, September 03, 2024, The Europe Today: Columbia University students returned to campus on Tuesday to begin the new academic year, met by fresh protests and increased security measures following a tumultuous previous term marked by large-scale demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The Ivy League institution, which witnessed some of the most intense campus protests in the United States last year, was once again the scene of pro-Palestinian demonstrations as students gathered outside the university’s iconic iron gates. The demonstrators, many of whom wore traditional keffiyeh scarves, chanted “Free Palestine” and beat drums, their voices echoing several blocks from the site.
As the protests unfolded, police reported two arrests but described the gatherings as “peaceful.” Security was visibly heightened around the campus, with metal barricades set up and students and staff required to undergo thorough identification checks before entering.
Inside the campus, the most significant disruption occurred around noon when the Alma Mater statue, located outside Low Memorial Library, was splashed with red paint, allegedly by protesters. The area was quickly cordoned off as a crew was dispatched to clean the statue.
The return to campus comes after a tense conclusion to the previous academic year, which saw the New York Police Department raid a pro-Palestinian encampment that had taken over the campus quad. The raid led to more than 100 arrests after students briefly occupied an academic building. The escalation of tensions led Columbia to cancel its main graduation ceremony, leaving the student body to depart for the summer amidst a climate of unease.
Last month, Minouche Shafik, who was Columbia’s president during the encampment and sanctioned the police intervention, resigned from her position, adding to the ongoing uncertainty at the university.
As students returned to campus on Tuesday, pro-Palestinian protesters distributed flyers reminding them of the reasons behind last year’s demonstrations. “We ask that you put aside your excitement for a new school year and remember the Palestinians who died by our very dollars,” the flyer read.
Despite the protests, many students appeared unperturbed. Among them was Stephanie Lee, a 28-year-old graduate student studying business, who expressed confidence in the campus security, saying she felt “OK” on her first day. Rachel Black, a freshman from North Carolina, viewed the protests as an integral part of her experience at Columbia. “I’m interested in becoming more educated,” she said. “I’m hoping to learn what the conflict is about.”
The pro-Palestinian demonstration concluded by mid-afternoon, with protesters vowing to return in the future, chanting, “We’ll be back.”
