By h. nazan ışık —

30 April 2024 —

Tuesday, 30 April, 00:00 (12:00 am):  ‘The calm before the storm’ feeling of 29 April evening changed.

Hundreds of protesters gathered together and started walking in a circle around the encampment and both lawns.

00:29 (12:29 am) : Pro-Palestine protesters were marching all the way up.

Marching,  chanting,“Free, free Palestine,” “From the river to sea, Palestine will be free,” and “It is right to rebel, Columbia go to hell.”,

A Protester was  waving a big  Palestinian flag while the others continued marching behind her.

More protesters….

00:40 (12:40 am): Staff and Faculty members for Justice in Palestine who protected students in the Pro-Palestinian “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” on 29 April 2024 after the 2:00 p.m. deadline to clear the encampment, marched with pro-Palestine protesters too.

More Staff and Faculty members for Justice in Palestine were marching.

Student Workers of Columbia were carrying the “Solidarity Forever” banner.…

01:00 (1:00 am): I saw some students in a different mood passing by protesters.

A couple, or good friends; a girl was carrying her shoes in her hands and a young man was carrying her were walking behind a student wearing Palestinian keffiyeh.

More students ….

And more…ladies in evening dresses, high heel shoes…and a young man in a suit.

 Some students in long evening dresses and a suit passed by Hamilton Hall.

I asked where they were coming from: “ There were some private parties…” they said

Some protesters broke the windows of the front door of the building, occupied Hamilton Hall.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators were in front of Hamilton Hall doors. Chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Palestine will live forever.”.

01:30 (1:30 am) : Students also picketed  by the admissions office entrance of Hamilton Hall  on College Walk.

More  students joined and sat  in front of Hamilton Hall,  by the admissions office entrance on College Walk.

Faculty and staff members were there too.

01:40 (1: 40 am) : Protesters who occupied Hamilton Hall, displayed a banner, and renamed it  ‘Hind’s Hall’, in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl  who was killed by Israeli Forces, 

Protesters expressed their feelings by clappin, shouting, and chanting. “ Free, free, free Palestine!” 

02:47 (2:47 am) :  More demonstrators gathered and sat very tightly, and some stood guard  in front of Hamilton Hall in order to, in case, prevent authorities from entering. 

I went to the 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue gate  to see what was happening outside. The NYPD officers were outside,  and I saw some press members whom I know, trying to get in, but were not allowed to. 

Pro-Palestine protesters broke the windows of the front door of the building, zip-tied the door handles together, reinforced the door barricade with metal tables, chairs, and trash cans from campus and barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall.

06:00 (6:00 am) :  In the morning about 06:00 (6:00 am) the campus was very quiet. Few protesters were sitting or sleeping in front of Hamilton Hall.

Early in the morning a protester was sleeping, on the steps, in front of the broken window.

A protester on the balcony of Hamilton Hall behind Hind’s Hall banner, in honor of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl  who was killed by Israeli Forces, gave a (V) peace sign

.

06:00  (6:30 am): Nothing was moving in the encampment. 

About 06:30 (6:30 am): Campus looked so empty and very quiet.

Where was everybody?

At about 08:00 (8;00 am ) it was announced that all gates were closed except 116th Street and Amsterdam Ave gate to exit.  And it would be indefinitely restricting access to its Morningside campus to students residing in on-campus residence halls and essential personnel. All Morningside libraries and dining halls were closed too.

At  09:00 (9:00 am) Since campus was so quiet and calm I decided to be outside, and left.

All Photographs © h. nazan ışık

© h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN