Columbia University suspends students involved in Pro-Palestinian protests after their refusal to clear on-campus encampments

Columbia University has started suspending students who participated in and organised the pro-Palestinian protests and refused to leave the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' despite a deadline set by the university. Talks between the institution and protesters broke down, leading to the suspensions. 

The university administration claimed that they asked the students to disperse to ensure the commencement ceremony could proceed as scheduled, but lead negotiator Mahmoud Khalil accused the school of promoting an "anti-Palestinian narrative". 

The University delivered its final warning on Monday, stating that students should halt the protests and leave the university premises at 2 pm. The administration also said that failing to do so would render the students ineligible for completing the remaining semester.

The students, however, refused to dismantle their encampments on the university grounds and announced their decision to continue the protests. 

A similar wave of protests has broken out throughout the United States, where students are protesting, boycotting classes, and even camping inside the campuses of several universities throughout the nation.

Cornell University has also suspended students who declined to relocate the encampment to a different site.

At the University of Texas, police and student protesters clashed and over 40 people were arrested on Monday. The police used zip ties, pepper spray, and a stun grenade against the protesters, leading to a tense situation inside the campus.

Police had to use zip ties, pepper spray and a stun grenade to disperse the student protesters from the University of Texas. Around 40 people were arrested at the university’s premises on Monday.

Over 900 students have been arrested across the U.S. Over 200 protesters were arrested on Saturday alone from Northeastern University in Boston, Arizona State University in Tempe, Indiana University in Bloomington and Washington University in St. Louis.