Professors back Columbia’s Gaza protesters, condemn college leaders: Live

A professor of anthropology at Columbia University condemned President Minouche Shafik at a press conference on Wednesday.

Ms Shafik testified to Congress on 17 April about protest activity and allegations of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus. The encampment on campus was erected that same day — the next day, officers arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters.

“She never challenged the image of Columbia University as a cesspool of anti-semitism, she never challenged their descriptions of those students as anti-semites,” the professor said on Wednesday. “She, in the meantime, threw faculty members by name under the bus, and the higher principle of academic freedom and faculty governance. “

“The next day, the police came in,” the professor continued. “She had promised Congress she would crack down — it was political theatre for Congress.”

“When I was a student, back in the 60s, we were told we were led by a bunch of outside agitators by politicians nobody remembers the name of today,” Columbia Professor Rashid Khalidi said on Wednesday afternoon.

His words referred to claims from Mayor Eric Adams and New York police that the Columbia protests were led by “outside agitators.” City officials provided scant evidence to support this claim.

“Shame on the administration of this university,” Dr Khalidi continued. “They will go down in history for having done what they did the other night.”

“We are ashamed of our university for, instead of continuing the negotiations that many were happy to be part of, decided to bring in the NYPD,” he said.

Classes are cancelled at the University of California, Los Angeles after protests turned violent on campus.

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters clashed in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The university’s vice chancellor, Mary Osako, said she was “sickened” by the “horrific acts of violence”.

Students at the University of Bristol, University of Leeds, and Newcastle University set up tents in demonstrations on Wednesday, 1 May.

Watch from The Independent:

New York Mayor Eric Adams and police officials blamed “outside agitators” for inciting chaos and violence at Columbia University pro-Palestine protests.

However, they provided scant evidence for the claims on Wednesday, even denying requests to list the number of “outside agitators” arrested on Tuesday evening after police entered Columbia’s campus to clear protesters occupying Hamilton Hall.

Police officials, both on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, referred to a bike chain used in the building as evidence of “outside agitators.”

The Late Show host, 59, spoke in solidarity with the protesters – who have gathered to urge their institutions to vocally condemn the war in Gaza.

Colbert’s chat show aired as riot police were deployed at Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall. Dozens of pro-Palestinian student protesters were arrested after they occupied the building.

Columbia officials said on Tuesday evening that they were “left with no choice” but to involve the police after they said non-students were involved in the hall’s occupation.