Columbia University has expelled, suspended, or revoked degrees of nearly 80 students for participating in anti-Israel protests, in what is being described as one of the harshest responses to campus activism in recent memory. The disciplinary sweep, targeting demonstrators aligned with the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) campaign, follows a wave of student-led protests demanding divestment from companies linked to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The university defended the crackdown, citing rule violations during key protest events, including the occupation of Butler Library during May 2025 finals and a controversial encampment in spring 2024 held during Alumni Weekend. Columbia stated that disruptions to academic life would result in “consequences,” but declined to release specific disciplinary numbers, referring to the move as the “final set of findings.”
CUAD denounced the sanctions as disproportionate and politically motivated, claiming they far exceed penalties issued for past protests unrelated to Palestine. The group reiterated its commitment to “Palestinian liberation” and vowed to continue pressuring the administration.
Columbia has been at the center of an international student movement against Israel’s war on Gaza, which escalated after NYPD officers forcibly cleared campus encampments in 2024. Despite police intervention, protests resumed during exam season the following year, drawing renewed media attention and institutional scrutiny.
The controversy has also intersected with national politics. Columbia is currently negotiating with the Trump administration to restore $400 million in suspended federal funding, withdrawn over accusations of failing to protect Jewish students from campus harassment. Interim President Claire Shipman was met with protests during May’s commencement ceremony, facing criticism for her response to the protests.
Meanwhile, Harvard has taken a defiant stance, suing the Trump administration over similar funding cuts tied to pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The developments come as Gaza plunges deeper into humanitarian catastrophe. Health officials report that at least 15 people, including a six-week-old infant, have died from starvation within 24 hours, intensifying outrage among student activists.
Adding to the political dimension, Mahmoud Khalil—a prominent Columbia protest leader who was previously detained under Trump’s deportation initiative—has now met with lawmakers in Washington following his release from immigration custody.
Related: Columbia Graduation Erupts in Protest Over Detained Student
As the dust settles, the debate over campus activism, free speech, and institutional accountability shows no signs of fading, with Columbia’s disciplinary measures drawing sharp scrutiny from both sides of a deeply polarized issue.