Columbia University is starting its fall 2024 semester under a lockdown, aiming to prevent individuals not affiliated with the university from entering campus. The decision follows the series of antisemitic protests that erupted last spring and gained national attention.
“This change is intended to keep our community safe given reports of potential disruptions at Columbia and on college campuses across the country as we approach the beginning of the new school year,” explained the university’s Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway in a statement. “We are particularly concerned about non-affiliates who may not have the best interests of the Columbia community in mind.”
The protests last spring involved Gaza encampments on campus, where students protested against Israel during its conflict with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Protesters also occupied Hamilton Hall in a demonstration that led to the arrest of dozens of individuals by police. The protests turned violent, with participants smashing windows and blocking doors while wearing keffiyehs to conceal their identities. It was later revealed that nearly half of those arrested were not Columbia students.
The new lockdown rules, which took effect on Monday, will remain in place indefinitely, according to Fox News. Entry to campus is now restricted to specific checkpoints, and a color-coded system has been implemented to indicate varying degrees of public access depending on the location at the university.
“President [Minouche] Shafik and the university leadership team take their responsibility for the safety and well-being of the entire university community seriously,” a spokesperson for the university told Fox News. “The university has been using the summer both to learn from the lessons of the past academic year and plan for the next one.”
Columbia is taking a more stringent approach than it did last spring when it faced widespread criticism for not acting more decisively against the protesters. The university is also considering adding peace officers with the authority to arrest individuals to its public safety department, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“As part of this consultative process, we are looking at various ways to supplement our public safety capabilities. We seek to strengthen the department’s skills and training in de-escalation techniques, expanding the department’s ability to manage a range of incidents while taking into account the fact Columbia does not have its own police force, as many peer institutions have, and potentially reducing our reliance on the NYPD,” the spokesperson added.
