The Occupation adn Arrests

Dozens of protesters were arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on Wednesday after they occupied a portion of Columbia University’s main library. The exhibition challenged what protesters viewed as prohibitions against actions opposing the Israel war in Gaza.

visa Status Under Review

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a review of the visa status of arrested foreign nationals. The exact number of U.S. citizens versus foreign students among the approximately 70 detainees remains unclear, and their identities have not been released.

Trump Administration’s Stance

The incident unfolds amid threats from the Trump administration to cut funding to American universities, especially Columbia, for allowing such protests. The administration has also reportedly canceled hundreds of visas for individuals participating in protests against the war, disrupting academic life across numerous campuses over the past year.

University’s Response

Columbia’s interim rector, Claude Shipman, condemned the library occupation as outrageous. A video circulating on social media showed protesters, faces covered with Palestinian scarves and masks, entering the library, displaying a Palestinian flag, and engaging in confrontations with law enforcement.

It represented a serious risk for our students and for the security of the campus. Violence, vandalism and search of a library have no place. These are not Columbia’s values.
Claude Shipman, Interim Rector of Columbia University

Accusations and counter-Accusations

Protesters have accused the university of violent repression on social media. Secretary Rubio characterized the protesters as a group of intruders and vandals. The NYPD reported that four of its officers sustained injuries during the incident.

In a post on X, Secretary Rubio stated, Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation. Republican Congressman Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, echoed this sentiment, addressing the protesters: The United States will no longer tolerate your anti -Semitic violence, destruction, harassment and intimidation.

Protesters’ Demands

The protesters are demanding that Columbia university divest from companies with ties to Israel. They also seek to rename the library “Popular Universidad Basilea al-Araj,” according to a publication in substack by the Columbia University apartheid divest movement. Basel al-Araj was a Palestinian activist killed in an Israeli raid in 2017. The affiliation of all or any of the protesters with this group remains unclear.

Echoes of Past Protests

This protest occurs approximately one year after Columbia became a symbol of the protests wave on Campus across the country, culminating in encampments and mass arrests. In 2024, protesters at Columbia entrenched themselves until police forcibly dismantled the protest.

Funding and Policy Changes

Last March,Columbia University reportedly yielded to demands from the Trump administration to avoid losing $400 million in federal funds and contracts.The threat of withdrawal of that money led the institution to accept nine demands aimed at tightening regulations on campus protests.

These concessions included prohibiting the use of masks during protests, reforming the admissions process, and more aggressively suppressing anti-Israel protests. The agreement also granted 36 campus police officers the authority to detain students and led to the appointment of a vice-rector to oversee the Department of Studies of the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, as well as the Palestinian Studies Center.