Pro-Palestinian student groups at Columbia University have been advocating for the school to withdraw investment funds from companies allegedly profiting from Israel's military actions in Gaza. The university's endowment, managed by a university-owned investment firm, is valued at $13.6 billion.
The coalition leading the movement, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, has urged divestment from weapons manufacturers and tech companies conducting business with Israel's government. These companies are accused of benefiting from what the group describes as 'Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine.' It's important to note that Israel has denied allegations of genocide.
This call for divestment is part of a long history of student activism at Columbia University. From the well-known 1968 student occupation of campus buildings to protest the Vietnam War to hunger strikes concerning issues like the university's expansion in Upper Manhattan, student activism has been a recurring theme at the institution.
