New York, MINA – A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators is preparing to stage multiple protests at Columbia University in New York City, beginning Thursday afternoon, according to NBC News, as quoted by Anadolu Agency.
The protests, organized in opposition to the ongoing war in Gaza, will include tent encampments similar to those set up by students in a demonstration last year.
The activists are protesting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 51,300 Palestinians.
Last year’s similar protest at Columbia resulted in multiple arrests and led to a crackdown by the Trump administration on foreign demonstrators, including detention and deportation proceedings.
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This week’s action is set to begin at 1 p.m. Thursday on the West Butler Lawn of Columbia’s main campus. A second encampment is scheduled for Friday at the Manhattanville campus, with plans for some participants to remain there indefinitely despite the risk of arrest.
A coordination meeting for the protests was held Tuesday night in Brooklyn, attended by about 100 masked individuals. Organizers advised participants not to wear masks on campus to avoid raising suspicion.
“When we take over the lawn, our goal is to unify the space and make it our own,” said one organizer in a recording obtained by NBC News.
The renewed protests follow the recent apprehension of several students by federal immigration authorities, including 30-year-old Mahmoud Khalil, who is now facing possible deportation. []
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