Students & parents ask for tuition fee refund as Columbia University moves classes online amid Gaza protests

In response to widespread student protests against U.S. President Joe Biden's handling of the war in Gaza, Columbia University has announced that all classes for the rest of the year will be held online. Students were asked to vacate the college premises as soon as the university made the announcement.

This decision comes as thousands of students on university campuses across the United States have been up in arms over the ongoing war in Gaza. 

According to reports, parents of several students have also demanded a refund of the tuition fee due to the ongoing protests.

In an official statement, the Columbia University president addressed the security concerns raised by students, stating, "Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety, and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns."

The University also mentioned that they would work towards resolving the crisis in the near future, while also addressing incidents of intimidating and harassing behaviour on campus.

Students in universities across the U.S, such as Standford University, University of California, Berkley, Boston University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are staging Pro-Palestinian protests and walkouts.

Videos and pictures of the protests, showing students holding signs and chanting slogans, have been widely shared on social media. 

The White House has condemned the protests, stating, "Echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organizations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable. We condemn these statements in the strongest terms."