Columbia Cancels In-Person Classes For Semester Over Anti-Israel Protests

One week after protesters took over the campus at Columbia University in New York City, the school's president, Minouche Shafik, announced that in-person classes would be canceled and held remotely until the end of the semester.

The spring semester ends on April 29.

"To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus," Shafik said in a statement.

Last week, Shafik tried to control the ongoing protest, in which students set up tents and camped out on the school's main lawn to demand the university divest from military weapons manufacturers, by calling the police, who arrested over 100 people.

Columbia and affiliated Barnard College suspended dozens of students involved in the protest.

The arrests and suspensions didn't quell the demonstration as the protesters returned, including around 100 faculty members.

Similar protests have broken out at several schools across the country, including Yale, where dozens of students were arrested last week.