Columbia University's access restrictions draw renewed criticism
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Elected officials, community members and faculty gathered Tuesday at Columbia University, calling on the school to restore public access to its Morningside Heights campus.
The rally was the fifth in a series focused on the issue of campus access. Speakers argued that limiting entry runs counter to the principles of higher education.
City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu said the policy "stands against the very things that academia stands for, which is openness, the exchange of ideas and letting people walk onto their campus."
In the wake of pro-Palestinian rallies, encampments and clashes with police, Columbia restricted public access to its Morningside Heights campus in 2023. For decades, the main gate at 116th Street and Broadway provided a pathway to Amsterdam Avenue and served as a gathering place for the surrounding community.
Reidar Bornholdt, a retired Columbia employee, said the campus played an important role in his family's life.
"My children who are now in their 50s, learn to ride their bikes, you know, over looked over by, Alma Mater," Bornholdt said. "The campus meant something."
Neighborhood resident Diane Tortu said the restrictions have created challenges for local residents.
"It's very hard for the older people live on the other side getting to the train. Now they have to walk all the way around the university. It's just a very cold feeling," Tortu said, adding that the changes have affected "the neighborhood."
Supporters of reopening the campus have filed a lawsuit claiming a 1953 agreement between the university and New York City designated the area known as College Walk as public space.
In a court filing last week, the Mamdani administration stated that "the City supports reopening of the walkway through the Columbia University campus to the public."
The lawsuit was filed by neighborhood resident Philippe Auffray, who criticized the university's past statements about restoring access.
"Columbia has a long history of marketing and (saying) 'We're going to open in two weeks. We're going to do this, we're going to do that,'" Auffray said. "They don't live up to their word."
Columbia's new president said an advisory committee will work to develop an approach that "protects our community" while also moving the university "back toward a campus that is more open and welcoming."
