New York (TDI): Dozens of peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on Wednesday at Columbia University after they entered a section of Butler Library to voice opposition to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and the United States’ military and diplomatic support for it.
The demonstration, part of a broader wave of campus activism across the United States, was organized by student-led coalitions advocating for Palestinian rights and university divestment from companies profiting from Israeli military operations.
Student protesters chanted in solidarity and displayed banners inside the library, calling for a ceasefire and justice for Gaza.
Columbia University President, Claire Shipman, confirmed that the New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were called in at the university’s request, resulting in more than 70 arrests. Two campus security officers were reportedly injured during the events.
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The university alleges that the protest disrupted academic activity, though organizers are of the view that the protest was confined to a single library room and was non-violent.
Footage circulating online shows students being asked to present identification or face arrest. Many declined, citing their right to peaceful protest and objecting to what they described as racial and political profiling. Some wore keffiyehs and masks, symbolizing their solidarity with Palestinians and concern for personal safety from police harassment.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened international students involved with visa scrutiny, repeating accusations of “pro-Hamas activity”—a claim protesters and civil rights groups reject as politically motivated.
These statements follow broader crackdowns on student activism, including the revocation of visas and funding cuts to institutions like Harvard and Columbia for their refusal to suppress student voices.
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Protesters, including members of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group, denounced what they called “violent repression” by the university and the state.
They reiterated demands for institutional accountability and divestment from companies linked to the occupation of Palestinian territories.
The Biden-Trump transition era has seen intensified pressure on pro-Palestinian activism across US campuses, with over sixty universities warned of funding cuts.
Despite these threats, organizers vow to continue peaceful advocacy for Gaza and Palestine.
Areeba Kanwal is a contributor at The Diplomatic Insight and has passion for International Relations and diplomacy.
