Columbia University's interim president kicked off the new semester by apologizing to anti-Israel protesters on campus who were “hurt” by the New York Police Department's attempts to remove agitators who descended on the campus last year.
“I know this is a hard thing for me to say, but I understand that I am in this position, so I hope that to any of you that have been hurt by this, you can let me know that I am truly sorry,” the university's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, told the student newspaper. Columbia Spectator In her first interview with the outlet since being named interim president, she said: “I know it wasn't me, but I am truly sorry. … I saw it. I am truly sorry.”
Armstrong became interim president of the prestigious school last month after Minouche Shafik resigned as president amid continuing criticism over his handling of last year's often violent campus protests.
Last year, agitators and student demonstrators flooded college campuses across the country to protest the Israeli war, and incidents of anti-Semitism also soared, with Jewish students publicly saying they felt unsafe on some campuses.
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The New York Police Department arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian students who barricaded themselves in the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia University on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Columbia's campus was rocked by students and outside activists demanding that the university completely withdraw from Israel as war continues in the Middle East.
Interim President Katrina Armstrong is shown in this undated photo provided by Columbia University on Aug. 16, 2024. (Jorg Meyer Photography/Columbia University via The Associated Press)
In late April, militants and pro-Hamas protesters stormed the university's Hamilton Hall and occupied it for nearly 24 hours until the NYPD received permission from the university to retake the building from the protesters. According to a report in the student newspaper published Thursday, officers operated largely in riot gear, “using buzz saws, stun grenades and other tactical equipment to clear the building.”
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Student protesters camp out on the campus of Columbia University in New York on April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Altafer, Poole, File)
Last year, as protests spread on campus, the NYPD raided a tent city where protesters were living, known as the “Gaza solidarity camp,” and the university removed the camp in May.
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In total, the New York City Police Department arrested about 200 protesters on Columbia University's campus last year.
On April 30, 2024, New York Police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian students at Columbia University in New York. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“When we face anything, we have to stay true to our principles, and our principles are students, creating an environment where people can have freedom of expression, supporting debate and doing those things,” Armstrong said. “We have to stay true to our principles in terms of allowing academic activity to continue. So I think we have to be very clear on that, because that's what I promised the students and the faculty.”
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Protesters are cleared from Hamilton Hall at Columbia University in New York on April 30, 2024. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Members of the campus Jewish community slammed Armstrong's apology in comments to the New York Post.
“Why would she apologize? It would send the message that you shouldn't be punished for breaking the rules,” Ari Schrage, co-founder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, told the New York Post, calling the comments “insensitive.” “This is exactly the opposite of what Columbia needs right now.”
On April 29, 2024, anti-Israel demonstrators gathered on the Columbia University campus. (Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)
“Instead of apologizing to anti-Semitic protesters, [Armstrong] “The university administration should apologize for failing to protect Jewish students from relentless discrimination and harassment,” 19-year-old student Maja Cukierman told the outlet.
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Rory Lancman, a Columbia Law School graduate, added that Armstrong's apology at the start of the semester was “an ominous sign for Columbia's dwindling Jewish student body.”
Columbia University He told the New York Post Asked about an interview in which Armstrong apologized to those “harmed” by the NYPD, the interim chief said he remains “committed to ensuring that everyone at the University feels safe and respected as we rebuild and recover this year.”
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“Dr. Armstrong gave a wide-ranging interview to the student newspaper that focused in part on the impact of the past year, and reiterated, as he has done in speaking to many groups on campus, that he understands their pain and is sorry to all students who have been hurt,” a spokesperson told the outlet.
Fox News Digital reached out to Columbia for further comment on Sunday but did not immediately receive a response.
