Columbia punishes 80 students over anti-Israel protests

Columbia University announced on Tuesday that it has taken disciplinary action against students involved in anti-Israel protests on campus, with punishments ranging from probation and suspensions to degree revocations and expulsions. While the university did not provide specific numbers, a student group claims that nearly 80 individuals have been targeted.

These sanctions come at a critical time for the New York institution, as it is currently engaged in negotiations with President Donald Trump's administration to reinstate US$400 million in federal funding that was previously cut. Trump has been a vocal critic of Columbia and other universities, accusing them of failing to adequately address alleged anti-Semitism amidst widespread protests last year against Israel's actions in Gaza.

As a central hub for these campus demonstrations, Columbia has committed to implementing a series of policy reforms in an effort to regain the withheld federal funding. This agreement has, in turn, sparked considerable anger among many students who view it as a capitulation to political pressure. Similarly, Harvard, another Ivy League institution, has also faced billions in funding cuts but is challenging the administration's pressure campaign through legal means.

Columbia's latest disciplinary measures are a direct result of two specific protest events: a library sit-in that occurred in May of this year, and an encampment set up during alumni weekend in the spring of 2024. The university stated that the library protest severely disrupted hundreds of students during a crucial exam study period. For this incident, the punishments issued included "probation, suspensions (ranging from one year to three years), degree revocations, and expulsions." Columbia reiterated its policy of not disclosing individual disciplinary outcomes for any student.

Regarding the spring 2024 encampment, which followed larger demonstrations including the occupation of an academic building, the university confirmed that these latest findings represent "the final set of findings from that period," though it did not specify the exact punishments for this particular event.

Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a student organization advocating for the university to sever all financial ties with Israel, criticized the sanctions related to the library sit-in. The group asserted that these punishments "hugely exceed precedent for teach-ins or non-Palestine-related building occupations," indicating a perceived disproportionate response. Despite the disciplinary actions, CUAD remains defiant, stating, "We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation."