Author: Tamara Turki
Published on: 20/03/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
Dozens of police officers invited onto campus by Columbia University’s Barnard College to break up a peaceful sit-in calling for the reversal of expulsions of three pro-Palestine students. On March 8, the administration escalated further. It allowed the Department of Homeland Security to detain Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil at his university housing in New York, without a judicial warrant, in front of his eight-month pregnant wife. A school accused a Palestinian student of discriminatory harassment over her editorial in the student newspaper calling for divestment from Israel. It hurts to watch those around me now decry Mahmoud’s detainment as an unprecedented attack on free speech, which they have a vested interest to fight against. Columbia President Katrina Armstrong claims to be “heartbroken” over these developments while leading an administration that actively criminalises pro-Palestine speech. Columbia suspended, expelled and revoked degrees of 22 students. On the same day ICE agents entered university residences, Columbia suspended and expelled the degrees. For those of us “fortunate” enough to remain unscathed, threats of disciplinary sanctions are being used as a tool of intimidation. The president’s latest set of demands to Columbia include prohibiting masks. Slashing the Middle East, South Asian and African Studies department. I’m ashamed to admit that I have contributed to a media narrative.
Original: 1006 words
Summary: 213 words
Percent reduction: 78.83%