Savanna Hoffman
Columbia University has a long history of student protests, with the most recent ones taking place in 2024. The protests gained national attention as students set up an encampment on the university lawn, demanding a cease-fire and divestment from companies doing business with Israel. While the exact number of protesting students is unclear, police arrested over 100 people, and the protest spurred similar demonstrations at other universities. Columbia University has been at the epicenter of campus activism for decades, with notable protests in 1968, 1972, 1985, and the early 2020s. The university's response to the 2024 protests was scrutinized, with accusations of failing to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of protest | 17 April 2024 |
| Number of protesters | Over 100 |
| Number of arrests | Over 100 |
| Type of protest | Pro-Palestinian |
| Protest demands | Ceasefire, university divestment from companies with ties to Israel |
| University response | NYPD called in to disperse crowd |
| Student opinion | Varied, some in support, some against |
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What You'll Learn
- Columbia University students have protested against the Vietnam War and called for civil rights
- Pro-Palestinian protests have occurred at Columbia University, with students demanding the university divest from companies with ties to Israel
- Columbia University has been accused of violating civil rights laws through its deliberate indifference towards anti-Israel protests
- In 1985, Columbia University students protested against the university's investments in South Africa-related companies
- Columbia University students have a history of protesting, dating back to the 1968 student strike
Columbia University students have protested against the Vietnam War and called for civil rights
Columbia University has a long history of student protests, with the university witnessing demonstrations as early as 1968. That year, students held extensive protests and sit-ins to voice their opposition to the Vietnam War and call for civil rights. The protests began in the spring of 1968, after students discovered links between the university and the institutional apparatus supporting the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War. Additionally, they were concerned about the construction of a reportedly segregated gymnasium in the nearby Morningside Park.
The protests at Columbia University in 1968 were part of a global wave of student demonstrations and played a significant role in shaping the university's future. The students occupied several university buildings, starting with Hamilton Hall, and their actions eventually led to the violent removal of protesters by the New York City Police Department. The protests had a significant impact, with the university's operations paralysed and the issue gaining widespread attention. The students' demands included the immediate withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam and the resignation of Columbia faculty members affiliated with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a private research institute for the Department of Defense.
The 1968 protests also had long-lasting effects on Columbia University's policies and relationships. The university's relationship with the US military and federal government changed, and it severed ties with the IDA. Additionally, Columbia shifted its focus for expansion away from Harlem, addressing concerns about its encroachment on the neighbourhood through the construction of the gymnasium. The university became more attentive to student concerns and adopted more liberal policies, with classes cancelled for the rest of the week after the 1968 protests ended.
In subsequent years, Columbia University continued to be a site of student activism and protests. In 1972, over 60 students and community members occupied several buildings, including Hamilton Hall, Kent Hall, and Lewisohn Hall, as part of anti-war demonstrations. In 1985, about 300 students blockaded Hamilton Hall for three weeks, demanding that the university divest from its investments in South Africa-related companies. This protest resulted in disciplinary warnings for 54 students, and the university agreed to divest from these companies in the fall of 1985. In 1987, over 40 students again blockaded Hamilton Hall, this time protesting the university's handling of racial tensions on campus after a fight between white and black students.
Columbia University's history of student activism continues to the present day, with the university finding itself at the epicentre of campus protests during the 2023-24 academic year. Students built encampments and demanded a ceasefire and divestment from companies with ties to Israel following the Hamas attack on Israel. The university's response to these protests has been scrutinised, with critics arguing that it failed to adequately protect Jewish students from antisemitism.
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Pro-Palestinian protests have occurred at Columbia University, with students demanding the university divest from companies with ties to Israel
Columbia University has a long history of countercultural ideas and demonstrations. In 2024, the university became the epicentre of pro-Palestinian protests, with students demanding that the university call for a ceasefire and divest from companies with ties to Israel. Students erected an encampment on the university lawn, gaining national attention and inspiring similar demonstrations at other universities. The protests were sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which reignited the war and led to widespread condemnation and calls for action from the international community.
The pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University included calls for the university to cut ties with companies doing business with Israel, including weapons manufacturers. The protests reflected a broader movement across college campuses, with police arresting over 2,950 people at protests across at least 61 campuses, according to Axios. The demonstrations also spurred debates about free speech and the limits of acceptable discourse on university campuses. Some accused the university of treating student protesters too leniently, while others argued that disciplinary actions against protesters violated their right to free expression.
In response to the protests, Columbia University faced accusations of failing to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students. The Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) alleged that the university violated federal civil rights law through its "deliberate indifference" toward the anti-Israel protests. The OCR claimed that Columbia failed to properly abide by its policies when addressing complaints from Jewish students and addressing student misconduct. Additionally, the university was accused of not enforcing its time, place, and manner restrictions for on-campus protests, particularly in academic buildings and residence halls.
Amid the protests, Columbia University also faced scrutiny for investigating students who expressed criticism of Israel. The university's new disciplinary committee, the Office of Institutional Equity, brought cases against students for activities such as sharing social media posts in support of Palestinians and joining unauthorised protests. In one notable case, senior student Maryam Alwan received an email from the university accusing her of discriminatory harassment for writing an op-ed in the student newspaper calling for divestment from Israel. The investigation caused concern among students, faculty, and free speech advocates, who worried about the chilling effect on pro-Palestine speech and the disciplinary push potentially reigniting protests.
The pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University reflect a broader trend of student activism and demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas conflict. With a history of countercultural ideas and a commitment to freedom of expression, Columbia University continues to navigate the complexities of ensuring the safety and freedom of expression of its diverse student body.
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Columbia University has been accused of violating civil rights laws through its deliberate indifference towards anti-Israel protests
Columbia University has been at the centre of protests against Israel, with students and faculty planning and bracing for a resumption of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The university has been accused of violating civil rights laws through its deliberate indifference towards these anti-Israel protests.
In 2024, students set up a protest encampment in the centre of Columbia's campus, occupying the lawn until the university divested from companies with ties to Israel. The university began warning protesters that those occupying the lawn would be subject to arrest, and the NYPD arrested 108 students. Many of the students who were arrested were temporarily suspended by the university. In response, students at other universities across the country held walkouts in solidarity with the Columbia protesters.
The university's new leadership has embarked on listening sessions, released a report on campus antisemitism, and circulated new protest guidelines to limit disruption. However, student organisers have promised to ramp up their actions, including possible encampments, until the university agrees to cut ties with companies linked to Israel.
Columbia's disciplinary committee, the Office of Institutional Equity, has been investigating cases of students expressing criticism of Israel. Dozens of students have received notices for activities such as sharing social media posts in support of Palestine, joining unauthorised protests, and putting up stickers off-campus that mimicked "Wanted" posters with the likenesses of university trustees. Some students have refused to sign non-disclosure agreements, and the university has threatened to block them from graduating.
Jewish students at Columbia have received notices for taking part in pro-Palestinian protests, and some have accused the administration of being too tolerant of demonstrators, creating a hostile environment for supporters of Israel. In response to these concerns, Columbia's task force on antisemitism offered its definition of antisemitism, which includes discrimination or exclusion based on "real or perceived ties to Israel".
In May 2025, the New York Police Department arrested 80 protesters, including 61 females, after anti-Israel agitators stormed Columbia University's Butler Library. The White House praised the university's response, and the administration's threat of funding cuts to universities allowing 'illegal protests'.
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In 1985, Columbia University students protested against the university's investments in South Africa-related companies
Columbia University has a long history of student protests, with the most recent ones in 2024 being pro-Palestinian demonstrations. In 1985, Columbia University students protested against the university's investments in South Africa-related companies. On April 4, 1985, seven students, members of the Coalition for a Free South Africa (CFSA), chained the doors of the university's administrative building, Hamilton Hall, shut and sat on the steps, blocking the entrance. They were protesting the university's investments in corporations that operated in Apartheid South Africa.
The Coalition for a Free South Africa at Columbia University was formed in 1981 or 1982 and was a multiracial organisation with the main objective of educating and mobilising opposition to apartheid. The group included students, faculty, alumni, and staff. The blockade action in 1985 was the culmination of years of activism by student leaders at Columbia. Since its early days, CFSA frequently led protests in favour of divestment. In 1982, they convinced the Student Senate to approve a motion to support divestiture, and the following year, the University Senate unanimously approved a similar motion.
The seven initial protesters in 1985 had their numbers grow to more than 250 within two hours, as a march coordinated by other CFSA members passed by Hamilton Hall. The blockade lasted for three weeks, during which the students demanded that the university divest from corporations profiting from apartheid South Africa. The protest was successful, and it was the first major victory for the college divestiture movement.
The 1985 protest was not the first time Columbia University students had taken a stand against apartheid. In the mid-1980s, there was a student divestment group called the Coalition for a Free South Africa that blockaded Hamilton Hall. The building was the main classroom building at the time, and the protest was one of the many demonstrations that have taken place at Columbia University over the years. The university has a history of battles over free speech, dating back to 1968 when students held extensive demonstrations and sit-ins to protest the Vietnam War and call for civil rights.
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Columbia University students have a history of protesting, dating back to the 1968 student strike
Columbia University has a long history of student protests, dating back to the 1968 student strike. In April 1968, students began a sit-in in Hamilton Hall, which sparked the occupation of four other buildings on campus. Over 700 students participated in the protest, which was against the US government's involvement in the Vietnam War and in support of the civil rights movement. The students also demanded that the university not build a neighbourhood gym that would have excluded Black Harlem residents. This protest led to the arrest and discipline of hundreds of students, with 73 students suspended from Columbia.
In the following years, Columbia University continued to be a site of student activism and protests. In April 1972, over 60 students and community members occupied several buildings, including Hamilton Hall, Kent Hall, and Lewisohn Hall, as part of anti-war demonstrations. In the spring of 1985, about 300 students blockaded Hamilton Hall for three weeks, demanding that the university divest from its investments in South Africa-related companies.
More recently, in 2024, Columbia University was at the centre of widespread campus protests and student activism over the Israel-Hamas conflict. Students built encampments, demanded a cease-fire, and called for their university to divest from companies with ties to Israel. This led to a large police presence on campus and over 100 arrests.
Columbia University's response to these protests has been controversial. The Trump administration accused the university of violating federal civil rights law through its "deliberate indifference" towards anti-Israel protests and failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism. However, pro-Palestinian students have also criticised the university for not doing enough to protect them from antisemitism and for not respecting their freedom of expression.
The university has implemented new approaches to managing protests and demonstrations, including expanding the delegate pool to support the University's commitment to freedom of expression while also maintaining public safety and following the Rules of University Conduct.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear exactly how many students were involved in the 2024 protests at Columbia University. However, sources indicate that the protests gained national attention, with students setting up an encampment on the university lawn, and police arresting over 100 people.
Yes, in 2025 the Trump administration accused Columbia University of violating federal civil rights law through its "deliberate indifference" towards anti-Israel protests on campus. The university was accused of failing to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students.
Columbia University has a long history of student protests, dating back to at least 1968 when students held extensive demonstrations and sit-ins to protest the Vietnam War and call for civil rights. The university has also faced criticism for its handling of protests, such as in 1985 when about 300 students blockaded Hamilton Hall for three weeks, resulting in 54 students receiving disciplinary warnings.
