UN rights chief 'troubled' by US handling of student protests

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Apr 2024 15:06

Columbia students release a statement after taking over Hamilton Hall and renaming it 'Hind Hall' as a tribute to six-year-old martyr Hind Rajab who was killed by "Israel".

A sign is shown written over to read "University of Palestine" at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Washington campus Monday, April 29, 2024, in Seattle. (AP)

The UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced on Tuesday being "troubled" by the actions taken by US authorities and security forces in an attempt to dismantle pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.

In his statement to reporters, he said: "I am concerned that some of law enforcement actions across a series of universities appear disproportionate in their impacts", adding: "It must be clear that legitimate exercises of the freedom of expression cannot be conflated with incitement to violence and hatred".

This comes after Columbia students reclaimed Hamilton Hall and named it Hind Hall as a tribute to six-year-old martyr Hind Rajab who was killed by "Israel".

Columbia students released a statement on Tuesday, saying: "Students take over Hamilton Hall after Columbia’s persistent refusal to divest, complicity in genocide, & continued violence against its students. This escalation is in line with the historical student movements of 1968, 1985, and 1996, which Columbia repressed then and celebrates today. This action will force the University to confront the blood on its hands. We are inspired by the courageous students who are putting their bodies and livelihoods on the line to protest genocide."

"Over the past two weeks, Columbia has been negotiating in bad faith with student representatives. The administration has threatened mass suspension and eviction and even considered calling the National Guard on its students. These actions are the latest in the University’s 7 month complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocidal assault on the Gaza strip. An autonomous group of students has taken matters into their own hands."

"They will remain in Hamilton until the University divests from death. The students are on the right side of history. We know that the university will remember them as anti-apartheid, anti-genocide activists with moral clarity—the real test is how Columbia chooses to respond. This action reflects the student body’s overwhelming support for divestment from the Israeli occupation. We stand with these students and commend their display of solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The students will not rest until Columbia divests.

Free Palestine."

Civil disobedience

Columbia University refused to divest from the Israeli occupation as negotiators did not manage to reach an agreement, University President Nemat Shafik announced Monday morning in an email, The Columbia Daily Spectator reported.

Shafik "urge[ed] those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse," adding that the University was "consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible."

The President of Columbia University faced increased pressure on Friday as a campus oversight committee strongly condemned her administration's actions in suppressing a pro-Palestine demonstration at the school.

Hundreds of students and faculty staff members from prestigious American universities are still protesting the Israeli genocide in Gaza despite various attempts from administrators and police officers to stop them through disciplinary measures and violent arrests.

According to a tally by The Washington Post, over the last 10 days, American authorities have arrested at least 900 protesters at pro-Palestine protests on college campuses, making this the widest police response to campus activism in years, and it may subject law enforcement agencies to challenges.

Encampments have been the venue of multiple forms of protests such as teach-ins (which began in the 1960s Vietnam protests), dances, and poetry readings, while other students were seen completing assignments and painting.

The protests have marked one of the most resounding events of popular protests since the war on Gaza first took place, driving global and American attention back to the atrocities committed by "Israel" in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the organizers' demands have underscored the critical imperative of advocating for economic measures against the Israeli occupation, particularly within Western nations, catalyzing widespread condemnation and proactive responses from authorities keen on mitigating the impact of these demonstrations.