(HorizonPost.com) – Former Harvard President Larry Summers on Monday called for investigations into the groups funding the pro-Hamas protests at American universities and also criticized school officials for failing to put a stop to the protests early on.
While appearing on CNN’s “AC360” to discuss the campus protests at Columbia and other universities around the country, the Harvard President Emeritus criticized university officials for failing to take a more rapid response to the escalating problem.
He said officials should have responded sooner after the October 7 terrorist attacks and taken a stronger stand. He suggested that if they had, they wouldn’t be in the position of having to bring in the police.
Summers also said school officials should have had non-students arrested and charged with trespassing. He suggested investigations to determine just who is bankrolling these protests.
Summers also called out faculty members who have participated in and enabled the student occupations, calling it “more problematic.” He said there must be “a lot of soul searching” among college trustees who make the rules surrounding tenure and have a fiduciary duty to the schools.
The ongoing protests at New York’s Columbia University escalated on Monday night, with dozens of pro-Hamas protesters taking over a campus building. The protesters barricaded the entrances to Hamilton Hall and unfurled a Palestinian flag from a window.
In a post on X, the group organizing the protest said the students would remain in Hamilton Hall until Columbia officials agreed to their demands.
In an advisory issued overnight, the university said due to the occupation of Hamilton Hall, members of the campus community who could avoid that area of campus should stay clear while only essential personnel should report to work.
Several hours later, Columbia said it was limiting access to that part of campus to essential personnel and students who live there.
Earlier on Monday, university officials gave the students occupying the campus until 2:00 p.m. to take down their tents and vacate the area.
After 2:00 p.m., the students were still there.
As of late Tuesday, the New York Police Department moved in to the Columbia campus to clear out demonstrators who had taken over at least one building.
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