WASHINGTON: Most students at Columbia University who faced disciplinary action including suspension or arrest for taking part in pro-Palestinian protests opposing Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip and calling for an end to US military support to its ally, will soon return to campus, the university administration said.
The US has seen months of protest demonstrations, including at Columbia and many educational institutions. Columbia’s handling of those protest demonstrations led to the resignation of its president, Minouche Shafik, earlier.
Pro-Palestinian protest demonstrators at Columbia had set up tents in April and asked the university sell its Israeli assets. The university administration had called on police to clear the encampments, a measure denounced by rights groups.
From the 40 students disciplined or arrested when the university called upon police force to the campus on April 18, only 2 remain suspended, a Republican-led US congressional panel said. Israel’s military offensive on Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis and killed more than 40,000 people, health ministry said.
