‘NYPD KKK’: What I Saw at Columbia Encampment When the Deadline to Leave Struck

Jarrett Stepman /

Daily Signal columnist Jarrett Stepman was at Columbia University in New York City at 2 p.m. Eastern Monday. Columbia officials had told students in the encampment that they were violating university policies, and needed to leave or risk suspension.

Here’s what happened:

Pro-Israel supported got surrounded. She was followed by people shouting “free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea” chants. pic.twitter.com/ZyPi3z1zL8

— Jarrett Stepman (@JarrettStepman) April 29, 2024

In a press release Monday evening, the Columbia University Office of Public Affairs wrote, “We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and we want members of our Jewish community to feel safe, welcome, and valued. The encampment has created an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning, and preparing for final exams of our professors and students.”

The office added, noting that not all had chosen to leave the encampment, “We have begun suspending students as part of this next phase of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus.”