Protesters remain defiant in Israel-Hamas war | World News

Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters Defy Ultimatum from Columbia University

In a show of defiance, pro-Palestinian student protesters at Columbia University refused to clear out their tent encampment despite an ultimatum from the university administration. The Ivy League university had given the protesters until 2 p.m. on Monday to sign a form and leave the encampment, or face suspension.

The encampment, which housed more than 300 people with at least 120 tents, remained standing even after the deadline passed. Activists could be heard chanting, clapping, and drumming as they stood their ground against the university’s demands.

The protests at Columbia have sparked similar demonstrations across the country, with students calling for their universities to cut financial ties with Israel in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The number of arrests at campuses nationwide is nearing 1,000, and the protests have even spread to Europe, with French police removing protesters from the Sorbonne University.

As the school year comes to a close and graduation ceremonies approach, colleges are eager to clear out the encampments. Some universities, like the University of Southern California, have even cancelled their main graduation ceremonies due to the ongoing protests.

Despite the winding down of the school year, tensions remain high at high-profile universities like Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale, where protesters have set up new encampments. At Yale, protesters were warned of possible discipline, including suspension and arrest, if they continued their encampment on campus.

In response to the protests, Columbia officials urged the students to remove the encampment so as not to disrupt upcoming events like exams and graduation. The lead negotiator for the protesters, Mahmoud Khalil, confirmed that notices had been distributed to the encampment, but declined to comment further.

The standoff between the protesters and university administrators continues, with both sides unwilling to back down. As the situation unfolds, the future of the encampment and the fate of the protesters remain uncertain.