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 Colu...