Columbia University Disciplines over 70 Students for Pro-Palestine Protests

Columbia University has issued disciplinary action against more than 70 students for participating in two pro-Palestinian protests, according to a university spokesperson in a statement on Tuesday.

The measures target students involved in a demonstration inside Butler Library, where at least 80 people were reportedly detained, as well as a similar protest held during last year’s alumni weekend.

The university did not disclose the individual outcomes but stated that penalties included probation, suspensions ranging from one to three years, degree revocations, and expulsions.

In a phone interview with NBC News, the university’s spokesperson confirmed that two-thirds of those disciplined received two-year suspensions.

The student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which campaigns for the university to sever ties with Israel, reported that nearly 80 students were notified on Monday of their suspensions or permanent expulsions due to their involvement in the May 2024 protest.

The group added that the disciplinary letters required students to submit formal apologies as a condition for returning to campus, or face permanent expulsion.

Columbia emphasized that its academic mission remains the top priority. It stated that any disruption to academic activity is a violation of university policies and will lead to consequences.

The crackdown follows a previous decision by the Trump administration to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding to the university. In response, Columbia implemented several reforms, including stricter student discipline protocols, a ban on masks during most protests, and the hiring of additional security personnel. These changes were outlined in a document shared with the federal government and published on the university’s website.

The disciplinary actions come in the wake of the largest wave of campus protests since the 1968 demonstrations against the Vietnam War, during which Columbia allowed police intervention on campus for the first time in decades. The university has since become a focal point for similar protests across U.S. campuses.

Some students previously told NBC News that campus activism has become increasingly risky, especially after Columbia’s agreement with the Trump administration.

One student activist, Mahmoud Khalil, who had led negotiations between students and administrators, was detained by immigration authorities and held in a Louisiana detention center for over 104 days before being released last month.