Savanna Hoffman
Columbia University has a long history of student protest, with one of the earliest notable demonstrations occurring in 1968. In 1968, students protested the university's links to the US government's involvement in the Vietnam War and its plans for a segregated gymnasium in Morningside Park. The protests resulted in the occupation of several university buildings, including Hamilton Hall, and the violent removal of protesters by the New York City Police Department. Since then, Columbia University has continued to be a site of student activism, with protests occurring as recently as 2025, advocating for various causes such as ethnic studies, divestment from fossil fuels, and support for the Palestinian cause. These protests have often led to disciplinary action and sanctions from the university administration, highlighting the ongoing tension between student expression and institutional authority.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1968, 1972, 1985, 2019, 2024, 2025 |
| Number of Protesters | 30, 60, 700, 300, a dozen, 100, 61, 80 |
| Buildings Occupied | Hamilton Hall, Kent Hall, Lewisohn Hall, Low Library, Butler Library |
| Protest Issues | US involvement in the Vietnam War, civil rights, segregation, university investments in South Africa, divestment from fossil fuels, divestment from Israel, Palestine liberation |
| Protest Actions | Sit-ins, barricading buildings, occupying buildings, hanging banners, renaming buildings, chanting, scribbling messages |
| Police Involvement | NYPD, New York City Police Department, public safety officials |
| Outcome | University administration scrapped the gymnasium project, Columbia divested from fossil fuels, Columbia divested from South Africa-related companies, disciplinary warnings, charges, suspensions, expulsions, resignations |
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What You'll Learn
- Students occupied buildings in 1968 to protest the US government's involvement in the Vietnam War
- Students demanded Columbia divest from companies with business ties to Israel
- Students protested against Columbia's plans for a segregated gymnasium in 1968
- Students occupied the President's office in 2019 to demand divestment from fossil fuels
- Students protested against Columbia's response to pro-Palestine demonstrations in 2024
Students occupied buildings in 1968 to protest the US government's involvement in the Vietnam War
In 1968, students at Columbia University in New York City discovered links between the university and the institutional support of the US government's involvement in the Vietnam War. This sparked a series of protests, with students occupying several buildings on campus, including Hamilton Hall, Kent Hall, and Lewisohn Hall. The protests began with a sit-in in Hamilton Hall on April 24, 1968, which catalysed the occupation of four other buildings. Over 700 students participated in the occupation, holding the acting dean of Columbia College, Henry Coleman, hostage for over 24 hours.
The students' demands included the immediate withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam and the resignation of Columbia faculty members from the Jason Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a private research institute for the Department of Defense. They also demanded an examination of the US government's business interests in South Africa and the suspension of work for the US government from Columbia's School of International Affairs. The protests were also driven by concerns over civil rights and local issues, such as the university's plan to build a segregated neighbourhood gym that would exclude Black Harlem residents.
The protests at Columbia University were part of a broader movement of student demonstrations against the Vietnam War in 1968. Students at other colleges and universities across the country also broke into campus buildings and occupied administration offices to protest the war. The protests at Columbia University gained widespread support, with many students sympathising with the goals of the demonstration. However, the manner in which the protest was conducted was controversial, and a group of 300 undergraduates calling themselves the "Majority Coalition" formed in response to what they perceived as administrative inaction.
The protests had significant impacts and consequences. The university's administration scrapped the plans for the segregated gymnasium in Morningside Park and disaffiliated from the Institute for Defense Analyses. However, the protests also led to disciplinary actions, with over 700 students arrested and subjected to discipline, and 73 students suspended from Columbia. Only three students were convicted at a disciplinary hearing. The protests at Columbia University in 1968 demonstrated the power of student activism and the impact of the broader anti-war movement in influencing institutional change and challenging government policies.
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Students demanded Columbia divest from companies with business ties to Israel
Columbia University has a history of student protests, with one of the most notable being the 1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the university's plans for a segregated gymnasium. More recently, in 2024, Columbia University became the centre of a controversy surrounding student protests calling for the university to divest from companies with business ties to Israel.
The protests in 2024 were sparked by the university's plans to open a satellite campus in Tel Aviv. Students, faculty, and outsiders aligned with Israel accused the pro-Palestinian activists of antisemitism, arguing that their claims to be motivated by concern about genocide were false. The protests gained international media attention and resulted in a heavy-handed police response, with reports of protesters being handcuffed with zip ties and loaded onto NYPD buses.
The university's acting president, Claire Shipman, stated that she had requested NYPD officers to help clear the occupied buildings after protesters refused to leave despite warnings of disciplinary action and possible arrest for trespassing. The police response was criticised by some as an overreaction, with reports of protesters being kettled and prevented from leaving the building. The university's disciplinary committee, the Office of Institutional Equity, also came under fire for investigating students who expressed criticism of Israel, including a student who wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper calling for divestment.
The protests reflected a broader trend of campus demonstrations against Israel's military actions in Gaza, with the Trump administration promising to crack down on such protests, characterising them as antisemitic. Columbia's task force on antisemitism issued a report stating that Jews and Israelis at the school were ostracised, humiliated, and verbally abused as a result of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The task force offered a definition of antisemitism that included discrimination based on "real or perceived ties to Israel" and "certain double standards applied to Israel," such as calls for divestment.
The university's handling of the protests sparked debates around free speech and discipline. While some criticised the university for not sufficiently respecting freedom of speech, others argued that the protesters knowingly violated Columbia's policies on when and where demonstrations could occur. The protests also led to discussions around the role of universities in influencing real-world events, with some arguing that universities were separate from global politics.
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Students protested against Columbia's plans for a segregated gymnasium in 1968
In 1968, Columbia University in New York City was the site of numerous student protests, one of the many student demonstrations that occurred globally that year. The protests were sparked by the university's plans to build a segregated gymnasium in Morningside Park, among other issues. The gymnasium was intended to be built on public land, but only 12% of it would be accessible to the public, with the remaining 88% reserved for Columbia's use.
The first protest occurred in March 1968, just eight days before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The protests were led by Columbia SDS activists and the Student Afro Society (SAS), who viewed the university's plans as an attempt to circumvent anti-segregation laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Harlem residents, most of whom were African American, also opposed the construction as it would take over their precious recreation space in Morningside Park.
The protests escalated on April 23, 1968, when students held a confrontational demonstration at the university sundial. After being prevented from protesting inside the Low Library by security guards, the students marched to the gymnasium construction site in Morningside Park. They attempted to stop the construction and clashed with the New York City Police officers guarding the site. The protests led to the occupation of Hamilton Hall and several other university buildings, with over 700 students participating.
The protests were successful in pressuring the university to abandon the segregated gymnasium project and disaffiliate from the Institute for Defense Analyses, a military research group supporting the US invasion of Vietnam. The protests also resulted in increased power for students at Columbia, leading to the creation of campus structures that gave students a voice and vote in university matters. Additionally, the university agreed to hire more black faculty members, admit more black students, and establish a Black Studies program.
The 1968 Columbia University protests demonstrated the power of student activism and its ability to drive institutional change. They also highlighted the interconnectedness of social and political issues, such as racism, segregation, and the Vietnam War. The protests had a lasting impact on Columbia University and contributed to a broader movement for social justice and equality.
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Students occupied the President's office in 2019 to demand divestment from fossil fuels
Student activism has a long history at Columbia University, with protests dating back to at least 1965, when students called for an end to the financing of apartheid in South Africa. In 1968, Columbia students played a significant role in the global student demonstrations of that year, protesting the university's links to the Vietnam War and its plans for a segregated gymnasium.
In the spring of 2019, Columbia students continued this legacy of activism by occupying the President's office in Low Library to demand that the university divest from fossil fuels. More than a dozen students participated in the encampment, represented by several law faculty members. The protest reflected a broader trend among US student activists to target their universities' financial ties with industries deemed harmful to society or the environment.
The 2019 Columbia protest specifically called for the university to stop investing in oil and gas companies. This demand was ultimately successful, as Columbia announced its decision to divest from fossil fuels in January 2020. The students' actions contributed to a growing movement pressuring institutions to reconsider their relationships with polluters and war profiteers.
The 2019 protest at Columbia University's President's office demonstrated the power of student activism in influencing institutional change. By occupying a symbolic space within the university, the students sent a clear message about their demands and garnered support from faculty members. While the protesters were disciplined and asked to write apology letters, their actions led to a significant shift in the university's investment policies, reflecting the impact of organised student movements.
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Students protested against Columbia's response to pro-Palestine demonstrations in 2024
In 2024, pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University led to protests against the university's response to the initial protests. The protests began in January 2024, when students at a pro-Palestinian demonstration were sprayed with a chemical, allegedly Skunk, a foul-smelling spray used for crowd control by the Israel Defense Forces. This led to injuries, with at least eight students seeking medical attention. The perpetrators were accused of being former IDF soldiers and current Columbia students and were suspended.
On February 2, protesters organized a demonstration outside the university, and a report by SJP and JVP stated that the attackers were former IDF soldiers and current Columbia students. The university's interim provost, Dennis Mitchell, called the attack a "serious crime" and a potential hate crime, which the NYPD investigated.
The protests continued, with ten student protesters removed from Laura Rosenbury's inauguration as president of Barnard College in April 2024. Pro-Palestine student groups had called for a boycott of the event, and the protesters were removed one by one as they interrupted Rosenbury's speech. On April 26, pro-Israel demonstrators gathered outside Columbia for a "Bring Them Home Now" rally, and on April 30, approximately 300 protesters were arrested at Columbia and the City College of New York, with pro-Israel counter-protesters attacking the UCLA campus occupation.
The protests led to the cancellation of Columbia's university-wide commencement ceremony, with hundreds of arrests made in May at various institutions. The protests also sparked a strike by academic workers at UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UCLA. Some Jewish students reported feeling unsafe or targeted due to the protests, and criticism arose after a recording of an organizer making a statement against Zionists was released.
The university's response to the protests was criticized, with some arguing that the university did not do enough to combat antisemitism on campus. University president Minouche Shafik was questioned by Congress and criticized by Republicans for her handling of the situation. The protests also led to the involvement of the NYPD, which was called in by the university to arrest students and disband protest encampments.
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Frequently asked questions
Students discovered links between the university and the US government's involvement in the Vietnam War, as well as plans for a segregated gymnasium in Morningside Park. This led to sit-ins and the occupation of several university buildings, including Hamilton Hall. Over 700 students were arrested.
The university scrapped the plans for the gymnasium in Morningside Park and disaffiliated from the Institute for Defense Analyses, a military research corporation supporting the US invasion of Vietnam. At least 30 students were suspended.
Yes, in the spring of 1985, around 300 students blockaded Hamilton Hall for about three weeks, demanding that the university divest from its investments in South Africa-related companies. In the spring of 2019, more than a dozen students occupied the President's office in Low Library to demand that the university divest from fossil fuels, which it eventually did in January 2020.
Student protesters called on the university to financially divest from any company with business ties to the Israeli government, including Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. They also demanded that the university end its academic activity in Tel Aviv.
