Topline
Police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia University on Wednesday evening after they took over a part of the school’s main library, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened a crackdown on any foreign nationals who participated in the protest.
New York City police arrested dozens of Pro-Palestinian protesters on Columbia University on … More
Key Facts
According to the Columbia Spectator, around 75 protestors were arrested from the university’s main library by the New York Police Department on Wednesday evening.
Shortly before the reported arrests, New York City Mayor Eric Adams tweeted about the NYPD entering Columbia at the “written request” of university officials to “remove individuals who are trespassing.”
The protest group, named Columbia University Apartheid Divest, announced on social media earlier on Wednesday that they had taken over a portion of Columbia University’s Butler Library and renamed it after the deceased Palestinian writer and activist Bassel al-Araj.
In a statement, Columbia University’s Acting President Claire Shipman said two Columbia Public Safety Officers sustained injuries when the protestors “attempted to force their way into the building,” and added, “These actions are outrageous.”
Shipman claimed the protestors were repeatedly asked to share identification and leave the building, but the protest group said in a statement: “We refuse to show our IDs under militarized arrest.”
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How Has The Trump Administration Reacted To The Protests?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the protests on X, saying: “We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University’s library.” He added: “Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation.” It is unclear if any of the protestors were foreign nationals, but the comments are in line with the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on student protestors.
