Two student protesters arrested at Columbia

Police arrested two Columbia University students Tuesday following a pro-Palestinian protest outside the university’s gates on the first day of classes, ABC7 New York reported.

The individuals, both 21, face charges of attempted obstruction and obstruction of government administration in the second degree, as well as disorderly conduct.

They were among the dozens of demonstrators who picketed outside the university for five hours, urging students, staff and faculty not to set foot on campus or attend classes and demanding that administrators divest the university’s endowment from companies with ties to Israel. 

Columbia had a tumultuous spring semester as students camped out on the university lawn and occupied an academic building. The New York Police Department arrested dozens of students.

A university spokesperson told ABC7 that this year Columbia is “focused on our mission of teaching, creating, and advancing knowledge and ensuring a safe, respectful campus environment for our community.” 

But student protesters said they intend to ramp up their actions until the university meets their demands.

“As long as Columbia continues to invest and to benefit from Israeli apartheid, the students will continue to resist,” Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student, told the local ABC affiliate. “Not only protests and encampments—the limit is the sky.”