Columbia University in Chaos: Dozens Arrested as Pro-Palestinian Protesters Storm Library — What Sparked the Clash?
The halls of Columbia University’s iconic Butler Library echoed with chants and drumbeats as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded themselves inside, turning the prestigious academic space into a battleground for activism. Masked students stood on tables, unfurling banners reading “Strike for Gaza” and “Liberated Zone,” while NYPD officers moved in to make arrests. The dramatic scene marked one of the largest demonstrations since last year’s wave of campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, reigniting debates over free speech, antisemitism, and academic freedom.
University officials called in the police after declaring the students’ occupation of the library’s second-floor reading room an act of trespassing. Videos circulating on social media showed at least 40 to 50 students being led away in zip-tie cuffs, their faces obscured by masks as they were loaded into NYPD vans. The crackdown came after weeks of escalating tensions, with Columbia’s administration struggling to balance student activism with accusations of antisemitism — a charge vehemently denied by protesters, including Jewish organizers who argue their cause is being unfairly maligned.|
The protest was more than just a spontaneous act of defiance — it was a calculated escalation by groups like Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which has long demanded the school divest its $14.8 billion endowment from companies tied to Israel’s military. The demonstrators also called for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student detained in Louisiana for possible deportation. Their demands reflect a growing movement on U.S. campuses, where students are increasingly willing to risk arrest to pressure universities into cutting ties with Israel and its allies.
But the backlash has been fierce. Former President Donald Trump, a vocal critic of the protests, has accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students and even pushed to revoke visas for pro-Palestinian international students. The university, meanwhile, finds itself caught between appeasing political pressure and defending academic freedom — a tightrope walk that has left both activists and administrators frustrated.
The confrontation turned physical even before police arrived, with university security locking the library doors and scuffles breaking out as protesters tried to force their way in. One student was injured, and another was carried out on a stretcher, though the extent of their injuries remains unclear. New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned any violence or property destruction, but protesters insist they were peaceful, accusing security of assaulting them.
As the dust settles, the arrests at Columbia have sent shockwaves through higher education, raising urgent questions: Where is the line between protest and disruption? Can universities remain neutral in politically charged conflicts? And with similar demonstrations erupting at schools like the University of Washington, will this movement only grow louder?
University officials called in the police after declaring the students’ occupation of the library’s second-floor reading room an act of trespassing. Videos circulating on social media showed at least 40 to 50 students being led away in zip-tie cuffs, their faces obscured by masks as they were loaded into NYPD vans. The crackdown came after weeks of escalating tensions, with Columbia’s administration struggling to balance student activism with accusations of antisemitism — a charge vehemently denied by protesters, including Jewish organizers who argue their cause is being unfairly maligned.|
The protest was more than just a spontaneous act of defiance — it was a calculated escalation by groups like Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which has long demanded the school divest its $14.8 billion endowment from companies tied to Israel’s military. The demonstrators also called for the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student detained in Louisiana for possible deportation. Their demands reflect a growing movement on U.S. campuses, where students are increasingly willing to risk arrest to pressure universities into cutting ties with Israel and its allies.
But the backlash has been fierce. Former President Donald Trump, a vocal critic of the protests, has accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students and even pushed to revoke visas for pro-Palestinian international students. The university, meanwhile, finds itself caught between appeasing political pressure and defending academic freedom — a tightrope walk that has left both activists and administrators frustrated.
The confrontation turned physical even before police arrived, with university security locking the library doors and scuffles breaking out as protesters tried to force their way in. One student was injured, and another was carried out on a stretcher, though the extent of their injuries remains unclear. New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned any violence or property destruction, but protesters insist they were peaceful, accusing security of assaulting them.
As the dust settles, the arrests at Columbia have sent shockwaves through higher education, raising urgent questions: Where is the line between protest and disruption? Can universities remain neutral in politically charged conflicts? And with similar demonstrations erupting at schools like the University of Washington, will this movement only grow louder?
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