Students Defy Columbia University Order to Disband Encampment or Face Suspension, Possible Expulsion

‘We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus,’ a Columbia University spokesman said.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold a short rally after marching around the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" in the West Lawn of Columbia University in New York City on April 29, 2024. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Columbia University has started suspending students who have defied the university’s order to dismantle an encampment protesting Israel’s military operation in Gaza, according to a spokesperson.

“We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus,” Ben Chang, vice president for communications and a spokesperson for Columbia University, said in an update on April 29, several hours after the 2 p.m. deadline to clear the encampment had passed.