Columbia University Provost Says Talks With Pro-Palestinian Protesters Who Began Camping On University's Ivy Campus league two weeks ago, have failed, and called on them to leave voluntarily, without saying what would happen if they didn't, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Nemat Minoosh Shafiq, whose administration was criticized by a university oversight committee on Friday for its response to the protests, said the protest organizers and university management could not reach an agreement to break the impasse over of the camp, which according to the administration violates university rules.
She said the university would not divest its assets in companies that work to support the Israeli army - a key demand of the protesters - but at the same time offered to invest in health and education in Gaza and improve the transparency of the direct investment holdings of the higher school.
Protesters have vowed to maintain their camp until their three demands are met: divestment (sale of some assets), transparency of Columbia University's finances, and amnesty for students and faculty punished for participating in the protests.
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Shafiq faced the ire of many students, faculty and outside observers for calling on the NYPD to break up the camp, which led to more than 100 arrests.
Over the weekend, protests at Columbia University and other American universities continued in full force, with more arrests and clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the University of California on Sunday.