Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Columbia University

New York police have arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters after they occupied half of the principle library at Columbia University on Wednesday.

Two college safety officers have been injured when protesters pressured their approach into Butler Library on Wednesday, in keeping with an announcement from the college president, who referred to as activists’ actions “outrageous”.

Video posted on social media confirmed chanting protesters getting into the library, many carrying keffiyeh headscarves and masks, defying a ban from the Trump administration that was imposed after widespread campus demonstrations final yr.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the visa statuses of these concerned could be reviewed.

Greater than 70 protesters have been reportedly arrested. Nobody has but been charged, and authorities haven’t given particulars about who’s being held and whether or not they’re within the US on visas.

In a publish on social media, the protesters accused the college of “violent repression” and stated that that they had refused to point out their IDs to police and campus public security officers.

Rubio described the group as “trespassers and vandals”. He added that “pro-Hamas thugs are not welcome in our nice nation”, echoing Trump’s justification for his latest crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus protests.

In addition to concentrating on distinguished people – by revoking a whole bunch of worldwide pupil visas and threatening deportations – Trump’s group has additionally taken direct goal at top-tier US universities, reminiscent of Columbia, which he accuses of failing to battle antisemitism on campus.

Movies of the most recent motion at the celebrated New York establishment confirmed protesters vandalising bookshelves by writing “free Palestine”.

One other clip confirmed public security officers blocking the library door’s exit and asking these inside to point out their Columbia IDs or face arrest, which led to an hours- lengthy standoff.

Claire Shipman, the Columbia president, stated she had requested the New York Police Division (NYPD) for help on Wednesday, including that many of the protesters concerned within the newest motion weren’t college students.

“On the direct request of Columbia University, the NYPD is responding to an ongoing scenario on campus the place people have occupied a library and are trespassing,” police confirmed in a publish on X.

Ms Shipman stated that whereas the protest was remoted to 1 room within the library, “it’s utterly unacceptable that some people are selecting to disrupt educational actions as our college students are finding out and making ready for remaining exams”.

The Columbia president, who took over the function in March after her predecessor resigned, requested college students to avoid the library.

“We is not going to tolerate hate or violence in any kind in our metropolis,” New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams stated in a publish on X.

It marks the primary time that Columbia University has referred to as the NYPD for an on-campus protest since April 2024, when protesters occupied Hamilton Corridor for almost 24 hours.

Columbia has drawn specific ire from Trump, who claims many universities have tolerated antisemitism and harassment of Jewish college students.

The president has already threatened to withhold some $400m (£309m) in federal funding for Columbia, as his administration continues to threaten these concerned in earlier campus protests with deportation.

In March, Columbia agreed to a number of calls for from the Trump administration, together with a ban on face masks at protests and a change in oversight of some educational programmes, after the administration stated it deliberate to withhold hundreds of thousands in federal funds.

It’s unclear whether or not the funds will likely be reinstated, although a lawsuit was filed by some of the college members over the cuts.

Columbia was the epicentre of final yr’s protests in opposition to the struggle in Gaza and US help for Israel. However it isn’t the one establishment that the US authorities has focused.

The administration has warned 60 universities that funding could also be cancelled if allegations of antisemitism on campuses aren’t addressed.

On Tuesday, Trump additionally terminated $2.2 billion in taxpayer funds to Harvard University after ordering a evaluation of its federal financing. The college has refused to bend to Trump’s calls for.