Columbia University Student Arrests: How Many?

In May 2024, Columbia University was the site of intense protests, with pro-Palestinian students occupying buildings on campus. The university called in the NYPD, who arrested more than 100 students and protesters. The university's president, Minouche Shafik, stated that the protests had pushed the University to the brink, and the school announced that all academic activities, including final exams, would be fully remote. The protests and subsequent arrests sparked debate about the role of campus protests and the limits of free speech, with some calling for leniency for the arrested students and others calling for harsh punishment.

Pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in 2024

In 2024, pro-Palestinian protests took place at Columbia University in New York City from April to June. The protests began on April 17 when pro-Palestinian students set up an encampment of around 50 tents on the university campus, calling it the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, and demanded that the university divest from Israel.

The first encampment was dismantled when university president Minouche Shafik authorised the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus and conduct mass arrests. A new encampment was built the next day. The administration then entered into negotiations with protesters, but these failed on April 29, resulting in the suspension of student protesters. The following day, protesters broke into and occupied Hamilton Hall, leading to a second NYPD raid, the arrest of more than 100 protesters, and the full dismantling of the camp.

The protests at Columbia University were part of a broader movement of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that took place at universities across the United States and other countries in 2024, in the context of the Israel-Hamas war. The movement escalated in April 2024 after mass arrests at Columbia University, led by anti-Zionist groups. In the US alone, over 3,100 protesters were arrested on more than 60 campuses.

The protests at Columbia University and elsewhere led to a range of responses from university administrations, law enforcement, and political figures. University responses varied from entering into negotiations with protesters and making concessions to calling in police to forcibly disband encampments and end occupations of buildings. Some universities suspended and expelled student protesters and, in some cases, evicted them from campus housing. Several universities switched to hybrid learning or online learning for the rest of the semester.

The police response to the protests was criticised by some Democrats and human rights organisations, who argued that it was disproportionate and undermined academic freedom. However, other political figures, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, condemned the protests and called for a stronger crackdown, including arrests and expulsions.

The protests also sparked debates about antisemitism and free speech on university campuses. Supporters of Israel and some Jewish students raised concerns about antisemitic incidents at or around the protests, prompting condemnations from leaders such as US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. In response, students and faculty members who participated in the protests, many of whom were Jewish, emphasised that the protests were not antisemitic and that incidents of antisemitism were the work of outside agitators and non-students.

Overall, the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University in 2024 were part of a broader movement for Palestinian rights that swept across university campuses worldwide. The protests sparked intense debates about freedom of speech, academic freedom, and the role of universities in political and social justice movements. They also highlighted the tensions and divisions within US society regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict and the boundaries of acceptable discourse on this issue.

NYPD intervention and arrests

On the night of April 18, 2024, the NYPD arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University. The number of arrests was later updated to 109. The protesters had occupied Hamilton Hall, a building with historical significance as the centre of campus protests, and vandalised and barricaded its entrance. The university stated that it had "no choice" but to involve the police, as it believed the group occupying the building was led by non-students.

The NYPD arrived on campus at around 9 pm on Tuesday, after Columbia's emergency management operations team had instructed students to shelter in place. Officers in helmets and shields entered the occupied building, using a "bear cat" to gain access. They deployed four "flash bang" grenades but did not use tear gas or any other force.

The NYPD stated that the threat level on campus had increased and that outside protesters were escalating the situation. They described the occupiers as "mostly professionals" rather than students. However, student Maryam Alwan, who was arrested, disputed this, saying that the majority of the students in the building were classmates.

The police intervention at Columbia University was part of a wave of arrests at U.S. campuses. Nearly 2,000 people protesting at universities across the country have been arrested since the April 18 crackdown, with 520 of those in New York City.

Student suspensions

In the wake of the protests at Columbia University, the university administration suspended dozens of students who participated in the encampment. One of the suspended students, Maryam Alwan, shared her account of the protests and her experience of being arrested and suspended.

Alwan, a Columbia University student, was arrested on April 18 by the New York City Police while protesting on university grounds. She was held in custody for approximately eight hours and then returned to campus, despite being ordered not to do so. The following evening, Columbia University sent an email suspending Alwan and other students involved in the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' protest.

Despite her suspension, Alwan remained on campus for the next eight days, sleeping at another protester encampment. She finally left on April 26 but returned on April 30, the day of the NYPD raid on Hamilton Hall. During the raid, Alwan and others were held in a separate building while officers forcibly removed students and outsiders from the academic building.

Alwan described the atmosphere on campus as "extremely tense" and felt that the administration and the police were collaborating to ensure that no one witnessed what was happening during the raid. She also disputed the university's claim that the protesters were not nonviolent, stating that the police caused more property damage and endangerment of lives.

In addition to Alwan, the Columbia Daily Spectator reported that dozens of students were suspended for their participation in the encampment. The exact number of suspended students has not been disclosed by the university.

The protests at Columbia University have resulted in a range of consequences for the students involved, including suspension, expulsion, and criminal charges. The Manhattan District Attorney's office is handling the criminal charges, and it remains to be seen if they will pursue leniency or harsh penalties.

Charges and legal proceedings

The charges and legal proceedings against the Columbia University students who were arrested during the May 2024 protests are still ongoing as of December 2024, with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg yet to announce his decision on how to prosecute the cases.

On April 18, 2024, more than 100 protesters at Columbia University were arrested, with an on-campus tent encampment removed after President Minouche Shafik gave the New York Police Department (NYPD) authority to clear the protesters. This first wave of arrests included student Maryam Alwan, who was suspended by the university.

On May 1, 2024, the NYPD arrested a further 109 protesters at Columbia University, bringing the total number of arrests at the university to 228. The majority of those arrested during this second wave were released with summonses, while a few were given desk appearance tickets for charges including resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office confirmed that 74 people were arraigned and formally charged, while 16 were issued with desk appearance tickets. The remainder received summonses.

The NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Public Information reported that 48 people were arrested at Columbia on suspicion of charges including third-degree burglary, "hate crime burglary," criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment. However, these individuals were not actually charged with these offences. Instead, 46 people arrested inside Columbia's Hamilton Hall were arraigned on charges of criminal trespassing, a Class B misdemeanour. A further two people were arrested at Columbia and given desk appearance tickets.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated that his office would "look carefully at each individual case" and make decisions based on the facts and the law, including a review of bodycam footage and witness interviews.

While the outcome of the legal proceedings remains uncertain, the protests have had significant repercussions for the students involved, with an unknown number expelled or suspended by the university.

History of Columbia University protests

Columbia University has a long history of student activism, with protests occurring as far back as 1968. In April of that year, students staged a weeklong series of sit-ins and building occupations to protest against the Vietnam War, military recruitment on campus, and the university's plans for expansion into Harlem. This resulted in a tense standoff with university administrators and the New York City Police, leading to a number of arrests and changes in administrative policy.

Fast forward to 2024, and Columbia University once again became a site of protest, this time with students demonstrating against the Israel-Hamas war and calling for the university to financially divest from companies profiting from "Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine." These protests also resulted in building occupations, with Hamilton Hall being a key site, and the New York Police Department making arrests.

The 2024 protests began in April, with over 100 protesters arrested and an on-campus tent encampment removed. However, protests continued, and on May 1, the NYPD arrested a further 109 people at Columbia, with a total of 282 arrests made that night, including at the City University of New York. The university administration stated that those occupying Hamilton Hall were mostly professionals and "outside agitators" rather than students, although students disputed this claim.

The protests of 2024 caused disruptions to campus life, with final exams moved online and commencement ceremonies impacted. The university president, Minouche Shafik, stated that the protests had "pushed the University to the brink," creating an unsafe environment. In response to the protests, Columbia University threatened to expel students involved in the building occupations and suspended those arrested.

The history of Columbia University is marked by student activism and protests, with the events of 1968 and 2024 being particularly notable for their intensity and impact on the university community.

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