In her inaugural interview with the Columbia Spectator on Tuesday (‘I’m really sorry’: Armstrong apologizes to those ‘hurt’ by NYPD sweeps), Interim University President Katrina Armstrong, who assumed office on Aug. 14 following Shafik’s sudden resignation, expressed her apologies to individuals who were “hurt” by the New York Police Department’s April operations targeting the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” and the occupation of Hamilton Hall, an event that resulted in more than 200 arrests.
NOW: Protestors link arms at Columbia as busses attempt to enter the barricaded street.
“Why are you in riot gear there is no riot here” pic.twitter.com/2qLauFZlSL
— Peter Hambrecht (@peterhvideo) May 1, 2024
The Spectator inquired of Armstrong her opinion regarding the decision made by former University President Minouche Shafik to permit the NYPD to access the campus on two occasions, leading to the most significant mass arrests at Columbia since the protests of 1968.
“I recognize that this is a delicate matter for me to address, but I acknowledge my position in this role. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you could convey to everyone affected by this that I am profoundly sorry,” Armstrong stated. “While I was not directly involved, I genuinely regret the situation. … I witnessed it, and I am truly sorry.”
The university was sued by Jewish students who said that in the university “mobs of pro-Hamas students and faculty march by the hundreds shouting vile antisemitic slogans, including calls to genocide.”
Columbia University – anarchist James Carlson was charged with arson & several counts of criminal mischief for his part in the April and May antisemitic riots that rocked the school.
The unemployed 40 year old is the son of a millionaire advertising tycoon Richard Tarlow and his… pic.twitter.com/icG7dvuXja
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) September 13, 2024
During protests against Israel, certain students advocated for an intifada and called upon Hamas brigades to target Israeli soldiers. Activists opposing Israel engaged in singing songs that supported Hamas and chanted slogans that demonstrated solidarity with the group. The Palestine Solidarity Working Group endorsed militant actions and commended Hamas’s assaults on Israel. Additionally, anti-Israel demonstrators directed derogatory comments towards Jewish students, instructing them to “Go back to Europe” and mocking them with chants of “Jews” and “Go back to Poland.”
Jewish students reported feelings of insecurity, experienced spitting incidents, and expressed relief upon leaving the university. They felt that their concerns were not sufficiently represented by student leaders. One protestor issued a threat to Jewish students, declaring, “The 7th of October is going to be every day for you!” Furthermore, some anti-Israel demonstrators chanted, “From the water to the war” (referring to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean), which is interpreted as a call for the removal of Jews from the region and a denial of their rights to self-determination in their historical homeland.
tonight, columbia university alumni protested the suspension of @ColumbiaSJP & @ColumbiaJVP while advocating for Palestinian Liberation in a “denouncement ceremony”.
heavy police presence on campus w/ a TSA style checkpoint to enter. pic.twitter.com/3Vxd9nx0Jx— Layla ? (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023
In the aftermath of the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, Joseph Massad, a professor at Columbia University specializing in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies, characterized the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, including civilians, as a “resistance offensive” and described it as “awesome.” I
In April 2024, President Minouche Shafik condemned Massad’s remarks and announced that he was under investigation, stating that Massad no longer held a leadership position at the university. However, Inside Higher Ed reported that during the 2024-2025 academic year, Massad chaired an academic review panel within the College of Arts and Sciences.
In a related development, Mohamed Abdou, a visiting scholar who expressed support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, was employed by the university following the October 7 incident. In April 2024, President Shafik indicated that Abdou was in the process of leaving the institution.
Katherine Franke, a law professor at Columbia, asserted that all students who have served in the Israel Defense Forces pose a danger and should be prohibited from campus.
In response to rising concerns, the university established a task force on antisemitism in late 2023.
