Columbia University set a midnight deadline late on Tuesday for an encampment of student protesters to disband, after which New York City police could be sent in to clear the grounds and make arrests.
After the deadline passed there was confusion inside the campus about whether it had been extended or whether the encampment would be cleared.
In an email to the university two hours before midnight, Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, said university administrators were in talks with student organizers in an attempt to reach an agreement before the deadline, after which the school would consider “alternative options” for clearing the lawn.
That touched off criticism from all sides about her handling of the campus protests.
The encampment re-emerged larger than the initial one after it was cleared.
Persons:
Nemat Shafik, Shafik
Organizations:
Columbia University, New
Locations:
New York City, Gaza