A college student body at Columbia University in New York has endorsed a boycott of companies that back the Israeli occupation's practices deemed as apartheid and genocidal.

The decision was made through a vote conducted by the Columbia College Student Council, as stated in a post on the X social media platform on Monday, according to Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, a student group.

As per the statement, the consequences of the boycott equate to "$1 million in student fees."

BREAKING: BDS VICTORY at Columbia University!! ❤️‍🔥
Columbia College Student Council has voted to boycott all companies supporting Israeli Apartheid and Genocide.
This boycott impacts over $1 million in student fees. pic.twitter.com/bHrrfTgZVL

— Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (@ColumbiaSJP) March 4, 2024

"In addition to divestment, a student referendum has been initiated by the Council demanding an economic and academic boycott of the Israeli occupation. The referendum will be sent to the student body to vote on," it stressed.

Not an isolated incident

Columbia University in New York witnessed over 40 of its student groups ally to demand the university divest from Israeli aggression and “challenge the settler-colonial violence” perpetrated by "Israel" with support from the US and the West last November.

At the time, the coalition announced that Columbia University Apartheid Divest intended to force the university to withdraw its entire economic and academic shares in the Israeli-occupied territories of Palestine as a result of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. 

The coalition identified itself as a continuation of the Vietnam anti-war movement and the movement to divest from apartheid South Africa, noting that the genocide in Gaza and the siege are being funded by US taxpayer money and financial investments made by institutions like Columbia University.

Two Columbia University students, both IOF soldiers, sprayed a chemical weapon on peaceful protesters. Skunk spray is used on Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli occupation. It is known to cause nausea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. @Columbia must take action. pic.twitter.com/Sx3MYHkjbw

— Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (@ColumbiaSJP) January 20, 2024

It's worth noting that Columbia has become a focal point for anti-war demonstrations, with numerous protesters frequently gathering outside the University's main gates to protest the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

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