On Thursday, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a statement explaining why she had made the decision to call the New York Police Department to remove and arrest students taking part in an anti-Israel encampment protest on campus.
She explained that the “Liberated Zone” demonstration “violates all of the new policies, severely disrupts campus life, and creates a harassing and intimidating environment for many of our students,” and that the decision was not made lightly.
“This morning, I had to make a decision that I hoped would never be necessary,” Shafik wrote. “I have always said that the safety of our community was my top priority and that we needed to preserve an environment where everyone could learn in a supportive context. Out of an abundance of concern for the safety of Columbia’s campus, I authorized the New York Police Department to begin clearing the encampment from the…
