
Columbia University has implemented disciplinary actions including expulsion, suspension, and degree revocation against dozens of students involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The student activist organization Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which advocates for the university to sever financial connections with Israel, stated that approximately 80 students have faced expulsion or suspension for up to three years due to their participation in antiwar protests.
Columbia issued a statement Tuesday explaining that recent student punishments stem from “disruption of Butler Library in May 2025 and the encampment during Alumni Weekend in spring 2024.” The university emphasized that “disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.”
CUAD characterized the university’s sanctions as disproportionate, claiming they “hugely exceed precedent for teach-ins or non-Palestine-related building occupations.” The group declared their continued commitment, stating “We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”
The 2024 pro-Palestinian encampments at Columbia sparked a nationwide movement protesting Israel’s military actions in Gaza. These demonstrations were ultimately dispersed when the university permitted hundreds of New York City police officers on campus, resulting in numerous arrests.
Following the university’s enforcement actions, student protesters occupied Butler Library during May final examinations, demanding divestment from companies connected to the Israeli military and expressing solidarity with Gaza Palestinians.
Columbia’s Judicial Board confirmed issuing expulsions, suspensions, and degree revocations following what it termed a disruption during “reading period.” While not specifying exact numbers of expelled students, the board indicated these were “the final set of findings from that period.”
The Ivy League institution is currently negotiating with the Trump administration to restore approximately $400 million in federal funding. The administration previously withdrew funds from the New York-based university citing alleged failures to “meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment.”
Acting President Claire Shipman, a former trustee, faced student disapproval during May graduation ceremonies due to her involvement in suppressing pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Harvard University, another Ivy League school facing similar federal funding reductions, has challenged government pressure through legal action against the Trump administration.
These latest disciplinary announcements occurred as conditions in Gaza continued to deteriorate. Health officials reported at least 15 deaths from hunger and malnutrition within a 24-hour period, including a six-week-old infant, amid ongoing siege conditions.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia protest leader previously targeted for deportation by the Trump administration, met with Washington lawmakers Tuesday. This meeting came over a month after his release from Louisiana immigration detention, where he was held as part of the president’s stated commitment to deport pro-Palestinian activists.
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