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Chaos has engulfed the Ivy League.
Protesters at Columbia University have spent days protesting against Israel’s war with Hamas, forcing authorities to arrest more than 100 of the agitators, and the school’s president has shifted all classes to virtual learning on Monday amid safety concerns.
Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik mostly closed the campus and urged commuting students not to travel to the campus in a statement posted just after 1 a.m. on Monday. In the statement, the president said she was “deeply saddened” by certain actions of the agitators, who have formed an “encampment” on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants.
The statement is the latest action from the school’s administration amid the fiery protests in and around the New York City campus that began Wednesday as dozens of anti-Israel activists created an encampment on the main lawn of campus.
She chanted: “It is very important” — with the crowd echoing — “to have their voices heard.”
On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the recent threats against Jewish students “antisemitism.”
“The First Amendment protects the right to protest, but students also have a right to learn in an environment free from harassment or violence,” she said. “At Columbia or on any campus, threatening Jewish students with violence or glorifying the terror of October 7 is antisemitism.”
New York City Mayor Adams said Sunday on X that he is “horrified and disgusted” with antisemitism. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)
New York City Mayor Adams said Sunday on X that he is “horrified and disgusted” with the antisemitism being “spewed” at Columbia University.
“Hate has no place in our city, and I have instructed the NYPD to investigate any violation of law they receive a report about and will arrest anyone found to be breaking the law,” he said. “We will not be a city of lawlessness, and those professional agitators seeking to seize the ongoing conflict in the Middle East to sow chaos and division will not succeed.”
Classes pushed virtual
On Monday, Shafik said all classes would be held virtually and urged commuting students not to visit the campus amid safety concerns.
“I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik wrote. “Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. 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 decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.”
President of Columbia University Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, left, with David Schizer, Dean Emeritus and Harvey R. Miller Professor of Law & Economics, and Columbia Law School, Co-Chair of Board of Trustees at Columbia University Claire Shipman. The school officials testified before the House Committee on Education & the Workforce at Rayburn House Office Building on April 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“We need a reset,” she added. “To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus.”
In response to Fox News asking about protesters shouting “We are Hamas,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that “no president has taken more action to combat antisemitism than this president.”
President of Columbia University Shafik said on Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by certain actions of agitators. (FNTV)
She added: “In our national strategy, we made clear that when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs, because of their identity, or when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hate, hatred, that is antisemitism, and that is completely, completely unacceptable.”
The White House doubled down on Sunday.
“While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous – they have absolutely no place on any college campus or anywhere in the United States of America,” repeated White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates. “And 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.”
Fox News’ Brie Stimson and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
