Ibrahim Gardner
Columbia University has been at the centre of protests by pro-Palestinian groups, with students and non-students alike participating in demonstrations. The New York Police Department arrested 80 protesters, 61 of whom were female, and at least 50 were Columbia University students. The protests have led to a crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators, with the Trump administration revoking visas and threatening deportations of international students. The Columbia administration has also taken action, suspending and expelling protesters.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 7 May 2025 |
| Number of arrests | 80 |
| Gender of those arrested | 19 males, 61 females |
| Affiliation of those arrested | At least 50 were Columbia University students |
| Reason for arrests | Anti-Israel activism, protesting during final exams |
| Location of protest | Butler Library, Columbia University |
| Protest group | Columbia University Apartheid Divest |
| Police involvement | NYPD |
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What You'll Learn
Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Columbia University
Columbia University has been at the forefront of a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel student protest movement that has swept across US colleges. The university has been the epicentre of protests against the war in Gaza and US support for Israel.
On May 7, 2025, pro-Palestinian protesters occupied Columbia's main library building, leading to the arrest of dozens of activists. The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested around 80 protesters, with sources stating that at least 40 to 50 of those arrested were Columbia University students. The majority of those arrested were female demonstrators. The protesters refused to show their IDs and described a physical confrontation with security officers.
The university's acting president, Claire Shipman, requested assistance from the NYPD to help clear the building, stating that the protesters had refused to leave despite being warned of disciplinary action and possible arrest for trespassing. This was the first time Columbia University called the NYPD for an on-campus protest since April 2024, when protesters occupied Hamilton Hall.
Columbia University has been accused of failing to fight antisemitism on campus and has faced pressure from the Trump administration, which has threatened to withhold funding if allegations of antisemitism are not addressed. The university has undergone leadership changes and implemented new rules, including a ban on students wearing masks to conceal their identities and a requirement for those protesting on campus to present identification.
The pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University have sparked similar demonstrations at other universities, with student groups demanding that their institutions divest from Israel and cut ties with companies that support Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territories.
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Columbia University Apartheid Divest
In May 2025, Columbia University made headlines when dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on campus. The university called on the New York Police Department (NYPD) to intervene after protesters occupied the main library, renaming it the "Basel Al-Araj Popular University." The protest was led by CUAD, and it marked the first time since April 2024 that Columbia University had called the NYPD for an on-campus protest. The university's president, Claire Shipman, stated that the school would not tolerate disruptions to academic activities and condemned violence, antisemitism, and all forms of hate and discrimination.
The protest and arrests occurred amid increasing attention on campuses across the United States due to heightened pro-Palestinian protest activity as graduation ceremonies approached. Columbia University, in particular, has been at the epicenter of protests against the war in Gaza and US support for Israel. The Trump administration has targeted universities, including Columbia, accusing them of failing to fight antisemitism and harassment of Jewish students. The administration has threatened to withhold funding if these allegations are not addressed.
The Columbia University Apartheid Divest group has been at the heart of demonstrations over the past year. Their stance and rhetoric have become more hard-line. As a result, Columbia University has adopted a tougher posture towards protests, leading to the arrests of dozens of protesters in May 2025. The university's response has satisfied critics, including the Trump administration's antisemitism task force, which previously cut research funding from Columbia, citing the university's failure to protect Jewish students.
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Columbia University's Butler Library stormed
Columbia University's Butler Library was stormed by protesters on Wednesday, 7 May 2025. The protesters, mostly female, were demonstrating against Israel and in support of Palestine. They occupied the main reading room in the library, renaming it the "Basel Al-Araj Popular University", and refused to leave. This caused substantial chaos and disrupted students who were studying for their exams.
The protesters were warned by Columbia University public safety officers that they would be arrested for trespassing. The university administrators then called the New York Police Department (NYPD) for assistance, marking the first time Columbia University has called the NYPD for an on-campus protest since April 2024. The NYPD made 80 arrests in total, including 19 males and 61 females, with at least 50 of those arrested believed to be Columbia University students.
The protest was organised by a group called Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which calls on the university to cut its ties with Israel. CUAD said that the protest was a response to Columbia funding and profiting from "imperialist violence". They also referenced Basel al-Araj, a Palestinian writer who was killed by Israeli forces in 2017, saying that they chose Butler Library to rebuke Nicholas Murray Butler, a former president of the university whom they called "a shameless Nazi sympathiser".
The university's president, Claire Shipman, said that the disruption was “utterly unacceptable" and that it endangered others and disrupted the fundamental work of the university. She added that Columbia values freedom of speech, robust debate, and peaceful protest, but that the actions of the protesters were “outrageous" and violated university policies. Shipman's statement was echoed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who said that "we will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city".
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Columbia University students face deportation
Columbia University has been criticised for its response to a pro-Palestinian protest on campus, which resulted in the arrest of 80 students. The university called the NYPD to campus, marking the second time in a year that Columbia has called on police to intervene in student protests. The Trump administration has praised Columbia's response, which comes amid threats from the administration to cancel funding for universities that fail to address allegations of antisemitism on campus.
The protest took place at the university's Butler Library, where demonstrators occupied the building and renamed it the "Basel Al-Araj Popular University". The majority of those arrested were female students, with 61 females and 19 males taken into custody. The university's president, Claire Shipman, said that disruptions to academic activities would not be tolerated, and that the university strongly condemns violence, antisemitism, and all forms of hate and discrimination.
However, the university's decision to call the police has been met with criticism. The New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director, Donna Lieberman, said that Columbia's decision to involve the NYPD was dangerous, especially given the Trump administration's willingness to punish and deport pro-Palestine protesters. Columbia has been accused of acting as a "tool of the president" and failing to negotiate with students.
The Columbia University protest is not an isolated incident, with pro-Palestinian protest activity increasing at US colleges. The Trump administration has targeted universities, threatening to revoke student visas and cancel funding if allegations of antisemitism are not addressed. The administration has already terminated $2.2 billion in taxpayer funds to Harvard University and cut more than $400 million in research funding from Columbia.
Several Columbia University students have faced deportation proceedings due to their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. International students Mohsen Mahdawi and Mahmoud Khalil, both permanent residents of the US, were detained by the administration and threatened with deportation. Mahdawi, a Palestinian born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, was arrested while attending an interview for his US citizenship petition. He was released on bail after a judge ruled that the administration could not deport him and that he had raised a "substantial claim" that his arrest was due to the government stifling speech it disagreed with. Khalil, who co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia, was arrested in March.
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Columbia University's response to protests
Columbia University's response to the 2025 protests has been described as "tougher" and "newly assertive" compared to its handling of demonstrations in 2024.
In 2024, a sole public safety officer was present when masked pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University. The officer notified her supervisor but left the scene without intervening. In 2025, by contrast, Columbia's public safety officers intervened aggressively during a protest, pushing demonstrators back and blocking exits. The university also called the New York Police Department (NYPD) to arrest demonstrators, resulting in dozens of arrests.
Columbia University's acting president, Claire Shipman, defended the university's response, saying, "These actions are outrageous... Disruptions to our academic activities will not be tolerated and are violations of our rules and policies; this is especially unacceptable while our students study and prepare for final exams. Columbia strongly condemns violence on our campus, antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination, some of which we witnessed today."
Shipman also noted that two Columbia Public Safety Officers had been injured during a crowd surge when individuals attempted to force their way into the building.
The university's response has been praised by some who were critical of Columbia's previous handling of protests, including the Trump administration's antisemitism task force. However, it has also raised concerns among international students and faculty, who worry about the crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters and the potential impact on their immigration status.
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Frequently asked questions
80 protesters were arrested, 50 of whom were Columbia University students.
Yes, the Trump administration revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, a doctoral student at Columbia University, for "advocating for violence and terrorism".
Yes, in March 2025, graduate student Mahmoud Khalil was seized by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and held in detention in Louisiana.
In April 2024, New York City police officers took several people into custody near the Columbia University campus after a building was taken over by pro-Palestinian protesters.
In April 2024, Columbia University campus safety officers blocked protesters from leaving a room at the library and locked the front doors to prevent others from entering. The officers arrested several demonstrators before the New York police arrived to finish the arrests.
