Columbia University students organize sit-in to show solidarity with their colleagues

NEW YORK, April 22 (YPA) – A number of students at Columbia University in New York City staged a sit-in in solidarity with their colleagues threatened with deportation for their support for Palestine, the Palestinian Official News Agency WAFA reported.

According to WAFA, a number of students and graduates from the university chained themselves to the campus gates in a symbolic move aimed at pushing the university administration to take a firm stance to protect the rights and safety of its students, and to protest plans to deport students participating in solidarity activities with Palestine.

The agency pointed out that the students demanded support and protection for students affected by recent events, specifically referring to the cases of Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, which have become symbols of their demands.

They also called for the disclosure of Columbia University’s investments in companies operating with Israel, and for the campus to be made a safe haven for students, preventing local authorities from prosecuting them for their activities in defense of Palestinian rights recognized by international treaties and conventions, according to WAFA.

The participants in the sit-in stressed that the movement was peaceful and aimed at pressuring for change, expressing their disappointment at the university administration’s silence.

@E.Y.M