Columbia President Minouche Shafik said Friday that the occupation of a campus building by anti-Israel protesters was a “violent act” that placed the campus community in danger.
In a video put out Friday, Shafik spoke about the unrest that had roiled the campus after students and others protesting Israel’s war with Hamas set up an encampment on campus and demanded the university cut off any ties to Israel. Shafik has faced criticism from some who said she allowed the encampment to go on too long while others accused her of reacting too strongly.
“These past two weeks have been among the most difficult in Colombia’s history. The turmoil and tension, division and disruption have impacted the entire community. You, our students, have paid an especially high price,” she said. “We tried very hard to resolve the issue of the encampment through dialogue.”
She then said that…
