A coalition of faculty members, students, and independent practitioners in the fields of architecture and design has united under the banner of Architects and Planners Against Apartheid. Their collective action is in response to Columbia University’s handling of student protests related to the war in Gaza. Here are the details:
- Columbia University: A prestigious institution located in New York City, Columbia University has been at the center of controversy due to its treatment of students who have been protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
- Student Protests: The protests began in mid-April and have since spread to universities across the United States. Students are voicing their concerns about the war in Gaza and advocating for divestment from companies that profit from Israel’s military actions.
The Petition and Call for Boycott
- Petition Launch: Architects and Planners Against Apartheid launched a petition calling for a comprehensive boycott of Columbia University. The petition specifically targets all academic events at Columbia, including the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) and Barnard Architecture, the liberal arts college that shares the campus.
- Reason for Boycott: The boycott is a direct response to the university’s decision to involve the police in handling the student protests. Concerned faculty members and practitioners believe that the extent of brutality against the protesting students warrants strong collective action.
Support and Solidarity
- Faculty Support: Many faculty members within the architecture department express support for the students and their initiatives. They stand in solidarity with the cause to free Palestine and advocate for divestment from companies associated with Israel’s military actions.
- Architects’ Code of Conduct: Architects, bound by a code of conduct that emphasizes human and environmental rights, refuse to remain silent in the face of the political status quo. These values are universal and not antisemitic.
Recent Developments
- NYPD Intervention: A week after the petition was signed and sent to Columbia, the New York Police Department (NYPD) cleared protest encampments on campus and regained control of an academic building that had been “seized” by protestors. This action led to dozens of arrests.
References:
- Dezeen: Architects and planners call for boycott of Columbia University
- Instagram post by Kabage Karanja
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