People react to Columbia protests as week three of encampment nears

Columbia University’s student encampment in support of Gaza began on 17 April and sparked a nationwide wave of student activism.

Columbia’s gated campus has tightened security, leaving many protesters without access to the inside. As the protests leak out into the streets of the Upper West Side, New Yorkers and tourists alike have been stopping to watch.

A prospective student told The Independent he traveled from Greece to visit the university. “But it’s impossible,” he said.

“Students have historically been a catalytic force in shaking up society,” said Raymond Lotta, who came to support the protesters.