'I am sorry we reached this point': Columbia president tells beleaguered community

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) The President of Columbia University Minouche Shafik said Wednesday that she is sorry the school "reached this point" after she called the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest pro-Palestinian students who occupied a building on campus.

More than 100 people were taken into custody in the overnight crackdown that began around 9 p.m. Tuesday at Hamilton Hall. Shafik thanked police "for their incredible professionalism and support."

"Early Tuesday morning, tensions on our campus rose to new heights when a small group of protestors broke into Hamilton Hall, barricaded themselves inside, and occupied it throughout the day. This drastic escalation of many months of protest activity pushed the University to the brink," she wrote in a letter to the school community.

"I know I speak for many members of our community in saying that this turn of events has filled me with deep sadness. I am sorry we reached this point," she added.

Protesters had occupied Hamilton Hall, which they renamed "Hind's Hall" in memory of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was brutally killed in the Gaza Strip, and vowed not to disperse unless the university met their demands, which included divestment from all Israeli firms.

Columbia's protests began in April and have served as a flashpoint for the wider anti-war movement after Shafik initially asked the NYPD to deploy to campus on April 18, when more than 100 people were taken into custody in an attempt to clear an encampment.

Demonstrators quickly adapted, however, and opened a new sit-in on another university lawn.

This time, Shafik requested that the NYPD maintain a presence on campus until at least May 17 -- the day after the school's multi-day graduation concludes -- "to maintain order and ensure encampments are not reestablished."

The antiwar protesters have been incensed by Israel's ongoing offensive on Gaza following last October's cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed and over 76,000 injured. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

Israel also is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel's actions amount to genocide, and ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit such acts, and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.