Some thoughts about the Columbia University protests

As the head of a journalism ethics center there, I've seen what's happening from the inside

I approached the Columbia University campus on Tuesday afternoon with trepidation. Although I had been out of town for a few days, I had seen some scary-looking videos from just outside the campus gates — people yelling hateful slogans, the air hued red with smoke bombs, the city police restraining protesters who were trying to climb their way onto university grounds.

My subway exit was blocked off and a line of New York City cops stood outside the gate where I normally enter campus, right near the Pulitzer building where I work. (Since January, I’ve been the executive director of the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.)

I entered another way, swiping in with my ID card. The now-famous encampment — dozens of tents set up by pro-Palestianian students — covered a big swath of the lawn, and its enclosure was dotted with Palestinian flags. Nearby was a much smaller tribute to the hostages and victims of the Oct. 7th attack on Israel by Hamas; many of the photographs were decorated with red roses.

All was peaceful — most students were on their way to or from class, it seemed — and it was hard to believe that the NYPD had arrested more than 100 students here over the weekend, after police were summoned by the university’s administration. Hours later, when I left campus, a few students with bullhorns and drums were creating a ruckus in the direction of protesters and police outside the gates. “NYPD …. KKK” went one chant. Another demanded that people remember 1948 — the year of Israel’s founding in which many Palestinians fled or were displaced from their homes.

Pro-Palestinian activists protest outside Columbia University in New York City on April 20, 2024 / Getty Images

It hasn’t all been so tranquil. There have been instances of vandalism — the Pulitzer building had been spray-painted with words to the effect of “free Palestine.” On Tuesday, that had been covered with a tarp awaiting removal. And later in the day, I would see video clips of groups camped near the journalism building, calling for intifada, a rebellious uprising. The students, in addition for calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, want the university to divest from Israel in order to exert political pressure on the country’s leaders to change their policies toward Palestinians.

Undoubtedly, a lot of harsh words have been exchanged, inside and outside the campus gates over the past days. Some of it may have gone too far. Hateful speech, especially if it threatens violence (to groups as well as individuals) may be protected by the First Amendment, but the university doesn’t have to tolerate all of it.

Still, my sympathies lie squarely with the rights of free expression, academic freedom, press freedom and the right to assemble — all of which have been threatened or harmed in recent days at Columbia.

Here are my takeaways.

— Police presence on campus. The summoning of NYPD over the weekend was an overreaction and a mistake. The crime was … trespassing, by tuition-paying students? Even the New York police said that students were peaceful. Granted, on a private university campus, there are rules about where and how such an encampment may exist — it’s not an unfettered right. But this action to bring police onto campus to remove and arrest students was way over the top and almost unprecedented in Columbia’s history.

— The need to stand up for core principles. Columbia President Minouche Shafik was too conciliatory in pandering to bad-faith politicians when she appeared before Congress earlier this month. I understand that she’s under attack from all sides and I can sympathize with her difficult-to-navigate situation, especially after the resignations, under fire, of the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia called this week for an urgent “course correction” in the way the administration has been making decisions on this issue for months. Those decisions are “disconnected from the values that are central to the University’s life and mission — including free speech, academic freedom and equality.” It’s a powerful letter to President Shafik, signed by someone I admire and know well, Jameel Jaffer, who heads that institute. You can read it here.

— Anti-semitism versus criticism of Israel. There is some anti-semitism being expressed on campus and outside the gates; most of it — while appalling and offensive — may fall within the parameters of protected free speech. It’s important not to conflate criticism of Israel’s policies and leadership with anti-semitism. That distinction too often is being blurred, and some of that blurring is intentional, providing an excuse to shut down speech. At the same time, real anti-semitism is dangerously — frighteningly — on the rise in America and around the world. That’s not something that should be minimized or taken lightly.

— Tolerating disagreement, even insult. Hurt feelings on the part of students, whatever their point of view, shouldn’t rule the day. Sometimes it’s okay to be exposed to ideas that seem offensive; maybe some listening — even empathy — is in order. Or just walk on by. The question is where to draw the line. Real threats or individual harassment, and actions that reasonably cause students to fear for their safety are, of course, a different matter.

— Protecting press rights. Columbia’s student journalism in recent days is something to be proud of and to foster. That skillful and dedicated journalism has been a great resource to the public and the university community alike. The student newspaper, the Spectator, has done a stellar job both in news and editorials. Students in the graduate school are documenting skillfully. (And by the way, professional news organizations who want to use this journalistic work — including photos, videos, etc. — or their connections must pay these students!)

University officials should be more careful about the way they — perhaps inadvertently — shut down the campus radio station temporarily over the weekend, and locked out some students from a building where they were making a documentary about the protests. Press rights matter deeply in this fraught situation.

---

---

I was glad that the journalism school’s leadership acted quickly to help accredited journalists get onto campus during a time of limited access to the public or outsiders. Since it tweeted its offer to help, the j-school team has escorted nearly 60 journalists onto campus and helped others find their way around the university bureaucracy. It’s a great example of acting on bedrock principles in a meaningful way, one that’s worthy of emulation elsewhere.

I was interviewed on this subject Wednesday for the Guardian’s “Today in Focus” podcast, which has a large international audience. It will air Friday, and I’ll post it here once it goes live.

Thanks very much for subscribing to American Crisis. Please share your reaction in the comments, if you are a paid subscriber; if not, you can find me in the usual social media places. My handle is @sulliview.