Key points:
- Over 80 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Columbia University after occupying Butler Library.
- University president condemned the disruption, citing safety concerns and injuries to security staff.
- Trump administration praised the crackdown, linking it to its broader efforts against campus antisemitism.
A major pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University ended Wednesday night with more than 80 arrests, after New York Police Department officers entered Butler Library to remove protesters who had occupied the reading room for several hours.
The protest, organized by the student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), called for the university to sever financial ties with companies profiting from Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Demonstrators hung banners reading “Strike for Gaza” and “Liberated Zone,” and renamed the space the “Basel Al-Araj Popular University,” in reference to a Palestinian activist.
University President Claire Shipman said the decision to involve police was made after campus safety officers were injured while trying to manage the crowd. “These actions are outrageous,” Shipman stated. “Disruptions to academic activities and violence on our campus will not be tolerated.”
Police described the protesters as trespassers and reported that those arrested had refused repeated warnings to leave. Videos circulating online showed officers in riot gear entering the library as students chanted slogans and locked arms. Some protesters accused the university of using excessive force and “violent repression.”
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended the police action, emphasizing the city’s support for peaceful protest but stating, “Lawlessness will never be tolerated in our city.”
The protest follows a year of escalating tensions between Columbia University and the Trump administration. Earlier this year, the administration cut $400 million in research funding to Columbia, citing the university’s alleged failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that his office is now reviewing the visa status of international students involved in the protest, raising the possibility of further federal action.
The Trump administration’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism praised Columbia’s response, describing Shipman’s actions as “strong and resolute.” However, student organizers and civil rights groups have accused the administration of conflating pro-Palestinian activism with antisemitism.
As of Thursday morning, Columbia officials confirmed that the university would pursue disciplinary action against students involved, but no criminal charges had yet been announced.