A demonstrator on the Columbia campus apologizes for saying "kill Zionists."

A demonstrator on the Columbia campus apologizes for saying "kill Zionists."

When a video showing him declaring that "Zionists don't deserve to live" surfaced, the leader of the Columbia University student protests against the war in Gaza had to issue an apology.

The 20-year-old Khymani James said he "misspoke in the heat of the moment" and was "unusually upset".

Columbia said on Friday that he was no longer permitted on campus.

Since starting at Columbia University in New York City, protests have expanded to other US schools.

In January, Mr. James—who has served as the demonstrators' spokesperson—posted the remarks on Instagram. He further stated: "Be grateful that I'm not just going out and murdering Zionists."

He made the remarks both before and after Columbia management summoned him in for a disciplinary hearing.

"I don't fight to injure or considerably there to be a winner or a loser, I fight to kill," he said on Facebook.

These remarks have been making the rounds among pro-Israel activists in recent days.

Mr. James issued an apology on Friday, stating on X that "I affirm the sanctity of all life and the movement for liberation."

"All people deserve to be safeguarded from physical harm."

"Calls of violence and statements addressed at individuals based on their religious, ethnic, or national identity have been unacceptable and violate university policy," the institution said in a statement.

A White House spokeswoman denounced his comments against Zionists in a statement.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates released a statement that said, "These dangerous, appalling statements turn the stomach as well as should serve as a wakeup call."

"It is hideous to speak for the murder of Jews."

A few demonstrations on US colleges have been characterized as antisemitic, and President Biden denounced the "antisemitic protests" earlier this week.

While some Jewish students have participated in the rallies, other Jewish students have claimed to have felt frightened at Columbia and other institutions.

The faculty and student-run Columbia institution Senate decided on Friday to censure the management of the institution for how it handled the demonstrations.

The senate said that it was "contrary to the norms and traditions" of the institution to call in the police to evict the campsite.

Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, the president of Columbia, is under pressure to resign due to how the government handled the demonstrations.

Following the arrest of over 100 individuals on April 18 when Columbia administrators brought in the police to dismantle a protest encampment, the most recent round of campus demonstrations got underway.

Universities have been under pressure from activists to "divest from genocide" and to cease allocating large portions of their endowments to businesses that produce weapons and other sectors that aid Israel's conflict in Gaza.

South Africa has filed a complaint against Israel at the International Court of Justice, claiming that the country is killing Palestinians in a genocide; Israel has dismissed the claim as "baseless."

Among the most current changes are:

Following the release of images showing snipers on roofs, Ohio State University officials acknowledged that armed police with scopes were there to observe demonstrations in Columbus. Thirty-six demonstrators—a mixture of non-students and students—were taken into custody on Thursday night.

Protesters detained at the University of Texas in Austin earlier this week had their criminal charges against them dismissed. "Lack sufficient probable cause to proceed" is how Travis County Attorney Delia Garza described the instances.

On Thursday, a number of academic members were taken into custody under tumultuous circumstances at Emory University in Atlanta.

Around the nation, protest camps are still in place at Northwestern University in the Chicago area, the University of Michigan, the University of California, Berkeley, and other institutions.

After the canceled valedictorian speech, tensions at USC

Where are US university demonstrations against Gaza taking place?

The conflict started on October 7, when militants headed by Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and capturing 253 more as hostages back in Gaza.

Since then, over 34,180 people have died in Gaza, the most of them women and children, according to the health ministry operated by Hamas in the region.