An update from Columbia - and thoughts on the incredible student journalists reporting tonight's scene in-real-time
As a heavy police presence entered Columbia's campus, student journalists with Columbia's WKCR radio station documented what they were witnessing on their own campus
To start, if you’re not listening already, Columbia’s WKCR student radio station’s incredible student journalists in the studio and the field are reporting live from campus — where a heavy police presence entered and arrested pro-Palestinian protesters. These student journalists have also been livestreaming their reporting on Instagram at the handle @wkcr_oncampus.
There was a shelter in place alert sent to members of the Columbia community prior to tonight’s on-campus police presence. According to WKCR, the NYPD has been asked to remain on campus through May 17 — two days after the school’s graduation. CNN is reporting (via its on-air chyron) that dozens of protesters were arrested.
Backing up, I spent the day on the phone with students across the country (and on all sides of the Israel Gaza campus conversation) who are dealing with protests that are engulfing college campuses — as I work on a story about the college class of 2024, most of whom graduated high school virtually amid the Covid-19 pandemic and now whose senior years have been impacted by these wide-spread demonstrations. (If you know any students in this position, please send them my way.) It’s unclear where the situation with regard to student protests goes from here and how that plays out with looming college graduations and escalating police activity.
In the meantime, a note of appreciation for the truly remarkable coverage tonight from student journalists at Columbia who went back and forth from different vantage points recounting in as much detail as possible what they were witnessing as it unfolded.
There are reports that student journalists are being threatened with arrests if they leave the building they are based in — Pulitzer Hall.
As one student journalist noted live on air:
“This has been a very traumatizing event for people within the station… this is a harrowing moment within our college careers… I personally live and sleep on this campus.”
This student stressed the complicated nature of being a journalist who is grappling with staying true to the facts and remaining unbiased while also feeling the emotional toll of watching their campus in chaos.