Inside the Columbia protests: Students occupy building, university threatens to expel

The campus is on lockdown and non-student protests are happening outside Columbia's gates.

April 30, 2024 Brendan Rose and Ella Napack

Students dropped a banner out of a window in Hamilton Hall around 2:30 a.m., renaming the building after Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza earlier this year. Photo: Brendan Rose

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UPDATE: At roughly 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, NYPD entered Columbia’s campus and arrested over 100 student protesters including those inside Hamilton Hall. The encampment has been disassembled and the campus remains on lockdown. Classes are expected to be remote through the end of the semester.

Student protesters on Columbia University’s campus entered and took over Hamilton Hall early Tuesday morning. Dozens of demonstrators brought in metal gates and furniture to barricade the building’s doors, while hundreds gathered in front of the historic building in support.

The pro-Palestinian student encampment first began on April 17, as student protesters erected tents on Columbia’s South Lawn in the early hours before President Minouche Shafik’s congressional committee hearing on the university’s response to antisemitism.

The protesters are calling for divestment from Columbia’s financial investment with organizations that they say profit off of Israel and the military occupation of Gaza.

Shafik requested the New York Police Department clear out the encampment on April 18, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 students. An encampment was rebuilt on the West Lawn by student protesters within hours of the arrests. Nearly two weeks later, with dozens of university students joining in protest across the country with encampments, Columbia campus is now on lockdown.

The occupation of Hamilton Hall on Tuesday came roughly 16 hours after Shafik released a statement Monday morning announcing that negotiations between student groups and the administration had failed.

Below is a photo essay documenting the timeline from the announced end of negotiations to the occupation of Hamilton Hall in the center of Columbia’s campus.

By 9:30 a.m. on Monday morning, the University began distributing notices to the student encampment, informing protesters that they would be suspended if they did not leave the encampment by 2 p.m. Some burned the notice on the quad.

Student protesters gathered inside the encampment at 1 p.m, with student organizers rallying for the group to stay. Photo: Brendan Rose

At 1 p.m., student protesters gathered to determine that the encampment would remain. The Student Workers Union motivated a picket march around the encampment itself. Hundreds of students began circling the center of campus in solidarity with the encampment’s protesters. A group of faculty stood guard at the entrance of the encampment, blocking counter-protesters from entering.

The picket passed a small number of Pro-Israel counter-protesters on the steps in the center of campus. Photo: Brendan Rose

A non-Columbia affiliated counter-protester approached the faculty blockade of the encampment. Photo: Brendan Rose

Students began to picket around the center of campus, circling a portion of grass marked with Israel flags. Photo: Brendan Rose

Sueda Polat, a graduate student and representative of the Student Worker’s Union, spoke to the press. Photo: Brendan Rose

Demonstrations began to die down throughout Monday evening. At roughly 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a group of students met inside the encampment and some began a picket towards the north of campus.

Students gathered inside and outside the encampment around 12:30 a.m. Photo: Brendan Rose

Soon after, student protesters carrying metal barricades entered the leftmost door of Hamilton Hall. Other student protesters then broke the windows of the rightmost door and carried other outdoor furniture to seal off the entrance.

Hamilton Hall was locked down by student protesters within minutes of entry. Hundreds of student protesters then gathered around the doors, with many forming a human chain. Shortly after 1 a.m., protesters unlocked the left door and let out several individuals and at least one Columbia employee.

Student protesters brought in outdoor campus furniture to block the doors of Hamilton Hall. Photo: Brendan Rose

Student protesters formed a human chain to protect the occupation. Photo: Brendan Rose

Press approached the blockade after the students had entered the building. Photo: Brendan Rose

The students inside Hamilton Hall dropped a banner out of a window, renaming Hamilton Hall as Hind’s Hall in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza earlier this year.

Student protesters dropped a banner out of a window in Hamilton Hall around 2:30 a.m., renaming the building after Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza earlier this year. Photo: Brendan Rose

Hamilton Hall has been occupied several times by student protesters in the last century, most notably the April 1968 occupation in protest of the Vietnam War.

Student protesters inside Hamilton Hall chanted with the students outside the building. Photo: Brendan Rose

The University released a statement at 6:30 a.m. announcing a campus lockdown, detailing that entry would be limited to students residing in residential buildings on campus and essential service employees. Later that morning, only a few students remained in front of the doors at Hamilton Hall.

Student protesters slept in front of Hamilton Hall’s doors, protecting the occupation entrance. Photo: Brendan Rose

Students on the west-side door of Hamilton Hall slept in front of a barricade. Photo: Brendan Rose

At 2:30 p.m, the Office of the President released an email statement announcing that students inside Hamilton Hall will face expulsion from the university.

“We made it very clear yesterday that the work of the University cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules,” the statement said. “Continuing to do so will be met with clear consequences.” It confirmed that students who did not leave the encampment by Monday at 2 p.m. were now being suspended.

“Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with teaching, learning, and preparing for final exams, and contributes to a hostile environment in violation of Title VI,” the statement read.

An undergraduate representative of the student protests gave a press conference shortly after Columbia’s statement and confirmed that negotiations have not begun again since the occupation of Hamilton Hall.

“Please do not instate another Kent or Jackson State by bringing soldiers and police onto our campus,” said the student, who did not disclose her name. “If you do, students’ blood will be on your hands.”

NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said police officers will only enter campus at the university’s request or if there is an emergency, according to police commissioner Edward Caban in a statement Tuesday evening.

The student representative, who had been suspended for her involvement in the encampment, suggested that there are roughly 60 students currently inside Hamilton Hall.