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65 Columbia students suspended for pro-Palestinian library protest
By
Jessica Gould
Published May 9, 2025
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Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Jessica Gould
Published May 9, 2025
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Columbia University has suspended scores of students following a pro-Palestinian protest at Butler Library the week before finals.
A Columbia official said more than 65 Columbia students were placed on “interim suspension pending further investigation.” A total of 33 people, including from affiliated institutions, were barred from Columbia’s campus. Alumni who joined the demonstration were also barred from campus, the university official said.
On Wednesday, pro-Palestinian protesters, many of whom were wearing masks and keffiyehs, forced their way into the library and occupied a reading room. They called for the university to divest from Israel, bar all police and immigration officials from campus and reverse all disciplinary actions against pro-Palestinian protesters, video from the scene shows.
Columbia’s public safety officers blocked the group from leaving until individuals provided their names, according to Columbia's interim President Claire Shipman, who called in the NYPD to help break up the protest. Police placed 80 protesters under arrest. University leaders said two officers were injured during the demonstration. Protesters posted videos of officers pushing them down a set of stairs and knocking demonstrators down.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that federal officials were "reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals” who entered Butler Library.
The demonstration comes amid ongoing negotiations between the Trump administration and Columbia over the university’s response to antisemitism on campus. Trump has moved to withdraw $400 million in federal funding for the university. Columbia responded by making a number of concessions to restore the funding, including giving a group of campus police the authority to make arrests. Earlier this week, Columbia laid off around 180 staffers whose salaries were tied to the federal funding.
Shipman said in a statement that the protesters had caused “substantial chaos,” including defacing the library. She said she had “no choice” but to call police to break up the protest during the reading period leading up to finals.
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Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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