Columbia students demand reporters exit campus; plan press conference post-deadline

‘We will remain in this encampment until we achieve all of our demands,’ international student Mahmoud Khalil says

MANHATTAN—As the “Gaza Solidarity” tent encampment at Columbia University lives on for a ninth day, student organizers spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon, urging them to leave campus before nightfall. They also scheduled another presser for Friday afternoon—roughly 12 hours after the school’s apparent deadline to vacate the encampment expires.

Sueda Polat, a Columbia graduate student who is negotiating with the school on behalf of student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, said those negotiations “have resumed as of earlier this morning” and are “currently ongoing.” She was followed by undergraduate student Khymani James, a protest leader and CUAD spokesman, who urged reporters to leave campus by 4 p.m. and scheduled another press conference for 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.

James’s announcement suggests student protesters expect to remain in their encampment for another 24 hours—despite a fast-approaching deadline from university president Minouche Shafik to clear the area.

Late Tuesday night, Shafik issued a statement setting a “deadline of midnight tonight to reach agreement” or clear the encampment. After protesters pledged to resist, university officials released a 3 a.m. statement saying they would “continue conversations for the next 48 hours.”

That means the deadline should expire between midnight and 3 a.m. early Friday morning, roughly 12 hours prior to the student protesters’ next press conference. Still, student protesters seemed unconcerned by the looming deadline, with student leader Mahmoud Khalil, an international student, saying the students “will remain in this encampment until we achieve all of our demands.”

‘We will remain in this encampment until we achieve all of our demands.” pic.twitter.com/UHGrPPMi8R

— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) April 25, 2024

Outside of campus, a flyer being distributed around New York City referenced the “deadline for negotiations” and issued a “call to action” to “support our Palestinian brothers and sisters” and “resist racist NYPD intimidation.”

“Conceal your identity,” the flyer said. “Be ready for a fight.”

During a Wednesday afternoon press call, Columbia officials said they were “making important progress” in their negotiations with students. Polat, however, appeared to rebut the school’s association.

She said negotiations resumed “earlier this morning” after a “30 hours of a pause,” suggesting student protesters and university leaders did not hold negotiations yesterday.

“Negotiations have resumed as of earlier this morning and progress is being made after 30 hours of a pause on negotiations,” Polat said. “They have just proceeded and are currently ongoing.”

It is Day 9 at the Columbia encampment.

Students say negotiations have resumed after a 30-hour pause.

Follow along for more updates.@FreeBeacon pic.twitter.com/k8ZYzk6PKj

— Jessica Costescu (@JessicaCostescu) April 25, 2024

Columbia University did not respond to a request for comment.

In addition to the update on negotiations, student protesters repeated claims that the school threatened to call in the National Guard on Tuesday. Columbia’s head of communications, Ben Chang, has called those claims “untrue” and “unsubstantiated.”

Student protesters also addressed the House GOP delegation, led by Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), that visited campus Wednesday. James referred to the delegation as “right-wing fascist politicians.”

Shortly before James delivered those remarks, a social media video circulated that shows him calling for “Zionists” to die.

“Zionists, they don’t deserve to live comfortably, let alone, Zionists don’t deserve to live,” he said in the video.

Just when we thought we’ve seen the worst from @Columbia student Khywani James, it gets even worse.

In this video, he says that ‘Zionists don’t deserve to live comfortably” and ‘Zionists don’t deserve to live.”

Why is this person a student at @Columbia? He is a danger and… https://t.co/y7beySCGon pic.twitter.com/J34OZnQxAK

— Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus (@CampusJewHate) April 25, 2024