Columbia University promises swift crackdown on planned pro-Palestinian encampments

NEW YORK — Students planning to renew a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University were met with a swift response from school administrators. University public safety officials said they would “immediately take steps to remove tents or other structures” and would instruct protesters to disperse, according to a campus email sent late on April 23. Those who refused to disperse would be identified and sanctioned, including the possibility of “removal from campus and possible arrest,” the email said. A year ago, as the civilian casualties in Gaza mounted, protests at the...