Over 100 protesters occupied a Columbia University library, leading to NYPD intervention and multiple arrests. The university cited safety concerns, while the protest group demanded divestment from Israeli-linked institutions. The incident adds to rising tensions in U.S. campuses amid President Donald Trump’s push for stricter actions against antisemitism.
Protesters Occupy Columbia University Library
Demonstration Disrupts Campus Amid Rising Tensions
On Wednesday, more than 100 demonstrators entered and occupied a reading room at Columbia University’s library in New York. The protest was organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a group demanding institutional divestment from Israel-related interests and calling attention to what it describes as “imperialist violence.”
Videos posted on social media show demonstrators wearing masks and keffiyehs, chanting and hanging banners inside the library.
Police Called to Campus, Arrests Made
NYPD Steps In After Safety Concerns Raised
Columbia University officials contacted the New York Police Department, which responded to the protest and confirmed that “multiple” arrests were made, although they did not provide exact figures. Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, cited injuries to two university public safety officers during the incident and called the protest behavior “outrageous.”
Protesters Voice Political and Institutional Demands
Calls for Divestment and Academic Boycott
The group CUAD renamed the occupied space “Basel Al-Araj Popular University,” in honor of a Palestinian activist killed by Israeli forces in 2017. In a statement, the group listed five demands, including financial divestment from “Zionist occupation,” and ending institutional partnerships such as Columbia’s Tel Aviv Global Center.
Clashes Reflect Broader Campus Tensions
Historical Echoes of Prior Demonstrations
The recent protest draws parallels to 2024’s Israel-Hamas demonstrations, which ignited nationwide campus debates on free speech and antisemitism. Columbia, already under scrutiny, finds itself at the center of an intensifying political battle over academic freedom, protest rights, and allegations of antisemitism.
Trump Administration Increases Pressure on Universities
Federal Funding Cuts Target Alleged Antisemitism
President Donald Trump’s administration has taken a firm stance against what it describes as university inaction on antisemitism. In March, the White House cut $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University. On Tuesday, the university announced layoffs of nearly 180 staff linked to impacted grants.
Republicans React to Campus Unrest
Stefanik Backs Trump’s Hardline Stance
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)—a prominent Trump ally—criticized Columbia’s response and linked the protest to a broader failure by institutions to uphold civil order. “Enough is enough,” she said, reinforcing President Trump’s call to restrict public funding for universities that permit what he calls “chaos and civil rights violations.”
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