Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian protesters ignored an ultimatum on Monday to abandon their encampment or risk suspension. The university said it started suspensions early on Monday evening.
“We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus,” the university said in an update on its website. Once disciplinary action is initiated, adjudication is handled by several different units within the university based on the nature of the offense.”
The ultimatum, setting a Monday deadline of 2pm, had come after the university’s president, Minouche Shafik, announced that efforts to reach a compromise with protest organisers had failed. She said that the institution would not bow to demands to divest from Israel.