Columbia Suspends Nearly 80 Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters While Trying to Appease Trump
NYPD load arrested protesters into a police van after clearing Butler Library last May (Anna Oakes / Hell Gate)

Columbia Suspends Nearly 80 Pro-Palestinian Student Protesters While Trying to Appease Trump

"At the end of the day, I don't think my education is as important as the lives of people in Gaza who are being murdered and intentionally starved right now."

As it tries to hammer out a deal with the Trump administration to restore its federal research funding, Columbia University has suspended or outright expelled scores of students who participated in two separate pro-Palestinian protests, one on campus grounds during alumni weekend in spring 2024, and another at the campus's Butler Library this May. The suspensions range from one to three years.

In a statement published on Columbia's Office of Public Affairs website announcing the resolution of the disciplinary proceedings Tuesday morning, the university justified its decision, declaring that "to create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution’s fundamental work, policies, and rules." The statement continued, "Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences."


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