Columbia University’s administration seems determined to avoid being seen as the bad guys. Rather than effectively addressing pro-Hamas protests as they should, they’ve instead locked down the campus, causing disruptions for the surrounding community and likely breaching the law in the process.
This heightened security came after chaos erupted during the Columbia protests, where students—presumably accustomed to comfort—joined forces with professional agitators to occupy the Morningside campus.
After a lengthy period of indecision concerning these very vocal students—who, if you recall, even requested meal deliveries to protesters in Hamilton Hall to avoid “starvation”—the university finally called in the NYPD to restore order.
They subsequently closed College Walk—a pedestrian area on 116th Street that has been accessible since 1953 under an agreement with the city—cutting off a well-trodden path for local residents.
This closure has forced residents to travel six extra blocks just to navigate around the campus, which is particularly difficult for the elderly and disabled.
Columbia insists it has the right to create a more peaceful campus environment, which, in theory, is understandable.
However, in reality, this move simply shifts the bedlam created by their own students and faculty onto the streets outside, imposing further disruption on a neighborhood already affected by the campus’s restrictions.
The university states it has the discretion to limit access and offers a QR-code system—requiring a state ID—for locals to use College Walk.
But, legal or not, the university seems to be neglecting the social agreement it has with the community that’s slowly being consumed by its expansion.
Columbia needs to take responsibility for maintaining order on its campus.
If external groups begin causing issues, they should be removed. If students erect tents or barricades, dismantle them before they settle in.
And if individuals like 40-year-old Algerian sophomore Mahmoud Khalil decide to “negotiate” the university’s surrender, they should simply be expelled.
Don’t cower before a crowd of complaints, especially when they’re donning makeshift disguises.
If Columbia truly wants to assert its authority over the campus, it should focus on keeping order rather than locking out seniors simply trying to reach the grocery store or the IRT.
It’s time to reopen the gates.
