Columbia University is once again at the center of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses after protesters attempted to take over its main library on Wednesday.
New York police intervened, making arrests related to the protests. Officials, including the mayor and governor, as well as members of the Trump Administration, have commented on the ongoing situation.
Here’s what you need to know.
How did the protest begin?
The protests started around 3:15 p.m. on May 7, according to the student newspaper, just days before exams.
Approximately 100 protesters entered Reading Room 301 of Butler Library and displayed a “Liberated Zone” banner similar to those used during last year’s pro-Palestinian encampments on campus. Videos on showed the occupants, many wearing keffiyehs and masks, chanting “Free Palestine.” also appears to show protesters writing messages on desks.
A that seemed to originate from Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of student groups supporting the Palestinian cause, stated that the protesters had “renamed” the library “Basel Al-Araj Popular University” in honor of a Palestinian activist and writer who died in 2017.
“The flood shows that as long as Columbia funds and profits from imperialist violence, the people will continue to disrupt Columbia’s profits and legitimacy,” the Substack post added, also reiterating calls for the University to divest from companies with business links to Israel.
How have university authorities responded?
The university issued a shortly after the protest began, stating that Columbia’s Public Safety Team was responding to the “disruption.” Individuals were asked to identify themselves and warned that failure to do so could lead to arrests.
on social media shows protesters the room.
Acting President Claire Shipman said in a follow-up that the university requested a New York police presence to secure Butler Library following the “disruption” in Reading Room 301. Shipman stated that two of Columbia’s Public Safety Officers were injured in the standoff with protesters. “These actions are outrageous,” she said.
Shipman said they requested the NYPD’s assistance “due to the number of individuals participating in the disruption inside and outside of the building, a large group of people attempting to force their way into Butler Library creating a safety hazard, and what we believe to be the significant presence of individuals not affiliated with the University.”
How did law enforcement respond?
The NYPD didn’t get involved until several hours later. “At the direct request of Columbia University, the NYPD is responding to an ongoing situation on campus where individuals have occupied a library and are trespassing,” the NYPD posted on shortly after 7 p.m.
The reported that around that time, NYPD officers—including members of the Strategic Response Group—entered the library. A video posted by showed protesters chanting, “We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
on showed NYPD escorting protesters out of the library. According to the Columbia Daily Spectator, approximately 75 people were arrested, although the NYPD has not confirmed the total number of arrests.
What have officials said?
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in : “New York City will always defend the right to peaceful protest, but we will never tolerate lawlessness.” The mayor also urged parents of student protesters to make it clear to their children “that breaking the law is wrong.”
Adams cautioned those at the demonstrations who are not Columbia students to “exit the campus immediately, or you will be arrested. We will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also , stating she had been briefed on the situation at Columbia, adding: “Everyone has the right to peacefully protest. But violence, vandalism or destruction of property are completely unacceptable.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X: “We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University’s library. Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation.” The Trump Administration in recent months has a number of participants in pro-Palestinian protests last year, including recent Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil.
What is Columbia University’s history with student protests?
Columbia was a focal point of pro-Palestinian protests across U.S. college campuses last year, starting with the first major pro-Palestinian campus encampment on April 17, 2024, on its Morningside campus. Protesters subsequently barricaded the University’s Hamilton Hall and called for it to be renamed “Hind’s Hall” after a child killed during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
Historically, Columbia has been the site of famous . As in 2024, students also took over Hamilton Hall, and New York police also intervened. The 1968 protests have been the subject of in recognition of how they shaped campus activism and national politics in the U.S.
How has the Trump Administration and the university cracked down on protests?
The university has taken several steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring—following pressure from the Trump Administration.
In March, Columbia issued a broad range of sanctions on students who participated in the 2024 protests, including “multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations, and expulsions.”
That same month, Columbia a series of counter-protest measures, including recruiting special officers authorized to make arrests, imposing restrictions on protests, limiting face mask use, and adopting a that holds students accountable for a broad range of acts deemed discriminatory to Israel.
These measures followed the Trump Administration the cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia. Many of the university’s new policies have been seen by as kowtowing to the Trump Administration.
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