Columbia University Faces Civil Rights Investigation Over Pro-Palestinian Protester Arrests
Columbia University is under investigation for a civil rights case regarding the mass arrest of pro-Palestinian protesters.
Palestine Legal, an organization that defends the rights of those speaking out for Palestinians in the US, filed a complaint with the US Education Department, alleging discriminatory actions against pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
The arrests occurred last week after the university called the police to clear encampments during an anti-war protest.
Columbia University faced backlash last week when President Minouche Shafik invited New York City police to campus to quell protests against the ongoing Gaza war.
Over 100 people were arrested, sparking comparisons to anti-Vietnam War demonstrations at the university decades ago.
Protests have since spread to other U.S. campuses, with hundreds arrested.
Demonstrators are calling for an end to the war, which has reportedly killed 34,000 people in Gaza and displaced nearly its entire population, leading to widespread hunger and genocide.
Israel denies these allegations.
Columbia University has not commented on the situation.
The text discusses the escalating tensions and hate crimes against Jews, Arabs, and Palestinians in the US following the war in the Middle East.
Notable incidents include the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois, the shooting of three Palestinian students in Vermont, and the stabbing of a Palestinian American in Texas.
These incidents have sparked concern and advocacy from various groups.