Columbia University begins expelling students participating in the of pro-Palestine protests

The American network "NBC News" reported on Monday that the administration of Columbia University in New York has begun expelling students participating in pro-Palestine protests.

"We have begun to expel students as part of our efforts to ensure the safety of the campus," the TV channel quoted university spokesman Ben Chang.

As the network notes, the university administration had previously ordered the pro-Palestinian protest to stop by two o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, and the students were threatened with their affiliation with the university being temporarily suspended and expelled pending further action, but the demonstrators ignored the order.

Earlier, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch said that the response to student demonstrations in support of Palestine by the university administration was extremely harsh and deprived participants of the right to peaceful protest.