Despite the alarming situation, Columbia University leadership reportedly “does not want NYPD on campus.” However, a noticeable police presence was observed outside the university’s gates, with officers beginning to make arrests on Monday afternoon.

Columbia University had previously suspended its Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter for staging an unauthorized “die-in” event in November. However, similar demonstrations have now spread to other prestigious institutions, including New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Emerson College.

At NYU, protesters set up tents and displayed signs with phrases such as “Honor the Martyrs of Palestine” and “We are all SJP.” The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Emerson College also experienced the establishment of anti-Israel encampments, with signs promoting the eradication of the Jewish state and calling for an end to financial support for Israel.

Columbia’s president testified before a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing, alongside the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. The MIT president was the only one to retain her position after the trio failed to explicitly condemn calls for genocide during their testimony.

Rabbi Elie Buechler of the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia sent a message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they leave campus due to safety concerns. Yale University also experienced protests, with nearly 45 demonstrators arrested for trespassing and demanding Yale divest from companies doing business with Israel.

The protests have sparked a debate about the balance between free speech and the safety of Jewish students on campus. As tensions continue to rise, the situation at Columbia University and other elite institutions remains a matter of great concern.

Article generated from corporate media reports.