STORY: Columbia University began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to take down a tent encampment on its New York City campus Monday - after the school declared a stalemate in talks to end the protests.
University President Nemat Minouche Shafik said in a statement that days of negotiations between student organizers and academic leaders had failed to persuade demonstrators to dismantle dozens of tents set up to express opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
The crackdown at Columbia comes amid a wave of Gaza-related protests across American universities.
Columbia university spokesman Ben Chang said on Monday that QUOTE:
"The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams."
Earlier, Shafik said Columbia would not divest from finances in Israel, a key demand of the protesters. Instead, she offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and make Columbia's direct investment holdings more transparent.
Protesters vowed to keep their encampment on the New York City campus until Columbia meets three demands: divestment, transparency in Columbia's finances and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined for their part in the protests.
Two weeks ago, Shafik faced an outcry from many students, faculty and outside observers for summoning New York City police to dismantle the encampment, resulting in more than 100 arrests.
Efforts to remove the encampment, which students set up again within days of the April 18 police action, have triggered dozens of similar protests at schools across the U.S. from California to Boston, as well as countries across the globe.
