Riot police surround Columbia University protest tent, negotiations continue
According to the New York Post, riot police were seen surrounding a Columbia University protest camp after pro-Palestinian protesters refused to leave the campus. Talks are continuing between university officials and protesting students amid a tense standoff.
The encampment was formed after the first set of protest tents were removed following the April 18 crackdown.
Columbia University said protesters “committed to dismantling and removing large numbers of tents”. According to the Associated Press, a small encampment remained at the upper Manhattan complex Wednesday morning.
Protestors at an Ivy League university in New York were given a deadline to leave, which they missed. After this the officials extended the deadline by 48 hours.
A Columbia University statement said student protesters would “ensure that those who are not affiliated with Columbia leave.” “Only Columbia University students will participate in the protest.”
NYPD riot police maintained a presence around the complex throughout the night and warned protesters to maintain decorum to avoid arrest, the New York Post reported.
Police were also advising protesters to lower their voice and refrain from attacking the barricades.
About a dozen riot police were deployed near the entrance to the main compound on Wednesday morning, keeping an eye on 20 protesters outside the main camp area amid light rain.
Protestors were also setting up camp at California State Polytechnic University in Humboldt, about 480 kilometers north of San Francisco, according to the Associated Press.
Students were using furniture, tents, chains and zip ties to block the entrance to a building.
Pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests have spread to a dozen top US universities in five states.
campuses of New York University (NYU), Yale University, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, Emerson College and Tufts University Protests have been seen in solidarity with the police action on protesting students on 18 April.