Columbia University Expels and Suspends Nearly 80 Students Over Pro-Palestinian Protests

(The Post News)- Columbia University has suspended or expelled nearly 80 students for their involvement in recent pro-Palestinian protests, in what student organisers are calling the harshest disciplinary action the institution has ever taken.

The crackdown follows two major demonstrations, one during the university’s alumni weekend in May 2024, and another inside Butler Library on 7 May 2025, when final exams were underway. New York police detained at least 80 people during the library protest, according to footage shared on social media and confirmation from Columbia officials.

The university announced on Tuesday, 22 July, that students who disrupted academic activities during the protests would face sanctions including probation, suspensions ranging from one to three years, degree revocations, and expulsions. However, Columbia declined to release specific numbers or identify any students, citing privacy rules.
A source familiar with the proceedings told NBC News that most of the punishments amounted to multi-year suspensions or expulsions. Around two-thirds of those suspended have reportedly been told they cannot return for two years.

The protest organisers — Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) — said in a statement that students were informed of their sanctions on Monday, and that suspended individuals were told they would have to submit written apologies if they wished to return to campus. CUAD described the response as disproportionate, especially given the nature of the protest, which it said included “readings and discussions” in the library.
Columbia’s administration defended its decision, saying it needed to maintain academic integrity and order. “Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences,” the university stated.

These actions come months after the Trump administration withheld nearly $400 million in federal research funding to Columbia. The administration accused the university of failing to adequately address anti-Semitism on campus. In response, Columbia reportedly agreed to several government demands — including a ban on face coverings at protests and the hiring of over 30 new security officers. The university confirmed these measures in a public document shared on its website.

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and prominent protest organiser, was released from immigration detention last month after spending over 100 days in custody. He still faces possible deportation under a rarely used clause in US immigration law, aimed at foreign nationals involved in political activism.
Despite the university’s firm stance, CUAD says its campaign will continue. “Students remain committed to ending US- and Columbia-backed Israeli genocide regardless of the school’s sanctions,” the group.