(NewsNation) — Columbia University’s president announced that most classes would be held hybrid for the remainder of the spring semester to “de-escalate” the situation as tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas roil the campus.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., among other lawmakers, is now calling on President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik to step down.
“She (Shafik) has a job to do, and she is failing the students at Columbia University by not being able to keep them safe. The answer is not to go remote and go home,” D’Esposito said during a Tuesday appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill.” “It’s absolutely ridiculous, and quite frankly, it’s giving into the hate-filled speech and rhetoric that has taken over that campus.”
Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., also joined “The Hill” on Tuesday to discuss what’s happening at Columbia University. Manning agreed with D’Esposito that canceling in-person classes is “very problematic” and said that the protests happening on the campus are “out of control,” adding that some Jewish students are afraid to be on campus.
However, Manning thinks that bringing in a new president “could potentially cause more chaos.”
“I think she (Shafik) needs to get in control of that campus immediately,” Manning said on “The Hill.” “I’m not sure a resignation at this point is gonna solve the problem. I think that those in charge need to take steps immediately to solve those problems.”
Columbia University has upped security amid the demonstrations, NewsNation local affiliate PIX11 writes. The campus locked its gate to anyone without a school ID.
“Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all the required academic operations,” the university’s provost, Angela V. Olinto, and chief operating officer, Cas Holloway, said in a statement late Monday, per PIX11.
Student protesters set up tent encampments at Columbia to protest Israel’s military action in Gaza and demand the school divest from companies that they say “profit from Israeli apartheid.”
More than 100 people were arrested last Thursday, sparking protests at other colleges in solidarity.