Columbia University Students Occupy Hamilton Hall in Protest, Renaming it 'Hind's Hall'

Students at Columbia University in New York City occupied Hamilton Hall, a prominent academic building on campus, renaming it 'Hind's Hall' in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed along with her family and paramedics by Israeli tanks in Gaza, despite her desperate pleas for help.

The occupation is part of a broader wave of pro-Palestinian protests that have spread to college campuses nationwide in recent weeks. The protesters have barricaded the entrances to Hamilton Hall and unfurled a Palestinian flag, defying the university's 2 p.m. deadline to clear out an encampment they had maintained on campus for nearly two weeks.

Columbia University had started suspending students who refused to leave the encampment. In a statement released on Instagram, the student groups said they have "taken matters into their own hands" and plan to remain in the occupied building until their demands are met, which include the university divesting financially from Israel.

The occupation of Hamilton Hall has a long history of student action dating back to the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. In 1968, students protesting the Vietnam War also occupied the building. The current protesters say their action is a continuation of that legacy of student activism.

Why this matters: The protests at Columbia University reflect growing tensions and activism surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on American college campuses. The situation has raised questions about the impact on young voters in the upcoming U.S. election, with some universities agreeing to consider divestment from Israel in response to student demands.

The university administration had threatened suspensions for protesters but was caught off guard by the post-midnight occupation of Hamilton Hall. The students faced what they described as an "excessive" police response, with reports of students being "pushed down the stairs" and "bleeding." Despite this, the protesters have pledged to continue their actions until the university agrees to their demands for divestment. In the words of the student activists, "nothing will stop us until divestment."

Key Takeaways

• Columbia students occupied Hamilton Hall, renaming it 'Hind's Hall'.
• Protest part of broader pro-Palestinian campus protests across the US.
• Protesters demand university divest financially from Israel.
• Occupation has history of student activism dating back to 1960s.
• Protests raise tensions over Israeli-Palestinian conflict on campuses.