Columbia University president apologizes for involving law enforcement during anti-Israel encampment: 'I’m really sorry'
Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong apologized for the university's decision to involve law enforcement during a pro-Palestine protest encampment last spring, expressing regret for the impact it had on students.
Armstrong's apology comes amidst ongoing pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus, including recent vandalism of a statue, reflecting continued student dissent.
The interim president of Columbia University, Katrina Armstrong, apologized for the university’s decision to call in law enforcement during the pro-Palestine encampment that students set up during the spring semester.
Armstrong made the comments in an interview with The Columbia Daily Spectator, the university’s student newspaper.
“I know that this is tricky for me to say, but I do understand that I sit in this job, right. And so if you could just let everybody know who was hurt by that, that I’m just incredibly sorry,” Armstrong said about the university’s response earlier this year. “And I know it wasn’t me, but I’m really sorry. … I saw it, and I’m really sorry.”
Armstrong stated that she is trying to “change the presence of security” during her stint as Columbia president.
“There’s kind of a moment that our community may need to come together and wrap our arms around our community here on Columbia, to rebuild those connections with each other, to kind of understand, ‘How do we create the community that we believe in, that also is trustworthy with our outside neighbors?’” Armstrong said.
Armstrong is filling in for former Columbia University president Minouche Shafik, who resigned from her position last month following what many saw as a failed response to anti-Israel demonstrations at the school’s Morningside Heights campus.
Shafik expressed a similar sentiment to Armstrong in her resignation letter, wherein she stated that she remains “optimistic that differences can be overcome through the honest exchange of views, truly listening, and- always- by treating each other with dignity and respect.”
However, despite Shafik and Armstrong’s expressions of optimism, pro-Palestine student demonstrations have continued to affect the school during the fall semester.
Student protesters recently vandalized a statue at Columbia University by drenching it in red paint. The group that claimed responsibility for the vandalism, Unity of Fields, stated in a message online that it would be the first “action” of many during this semester.
”The first day of classes at Columbia University are drenched in blood,” the group posted. “Protests are continuing against the school’s financial support for the zionist entity & repression of anti-zionist voices amid genocide. These photos show the Alma Mater statue at the library covered in paint.”
Campus Reform has contacted Columbia University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
