Columbia University Expels and Suspends Dozens of Students Over Pro-Palestinian Protests
NEW YORK, July 23 (Voice of Malaysia): Columbia University has expelled or suspended dozens of students for their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests held on campus, including a demonstration inside the university’s main library before final exams in May and an earlier encampment during alumni weekend.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Ivy League university confirmed that disciplinary measures were taken by its judicial board, including suspensions ranging from one to three years, expulsions, probation, and even revocation of degrees in certain cases. While Columbia did not reveal the names of those disciplined, a student activist group said the number of affected students is close to 80.
The disciplinary action comes as Columbia negotiates with the Trump administration to restore approximately $400 million in federal funding that was revoked in March. The funding was pulled after the administration accused the university of failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus amid growing student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
In response to the federal funding freeze, Columbia has agreed to overhaul its student disciplinary procedures and adopt a broader definition of antisemitism in line with the administration’s demands.
“Our institution must focus on delivering on its academic mission for our community,” the university said in its statement. “Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of university policies and rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.”
In May, Columbia also announced it would lay off nearly 180 staff members and scale back research operations due to the loss of federal grants and contracts. The affected employees represented about 20 percent of those funded through the canceled programs.
Student activists strongly condemned the university’s latest disciplinary actions, arguing that the penalties go far beyond past precedents for campus protests. According to Columbia University Apartheid Divest, many suspended students are being required to submit written apologies to be considered for reinstatement—a demand some students say they will refuse.
“We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,” the group said in a statement.
Columbia was a flashpoint of nationwide student activism in the spring of 2024, with a large-scale encampment and the occupation of a campus building prompting police intervention and dozens of arrests. The movement inspired similar demonstrations at other universities across the United States.
Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has targeted several elite universities he perceives as being too permissive toward antisemitic rhetoric, often linked to criticism of Israel. His administration has cut funding, implemented strict campus oversight measures, and initiated legal action in several high-profile cases.
One of those cases involves Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and legal U.S. resident, who was detained in March for his role in the protests. Khalil, who has no criminal history, is now suing the Trump administration for alleged false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and defamation, accusing the government of unjustly labeling him as an antisemite.
As tensions between student activists and university administrators continue to rise, Columbia now finds itself at the center of a national debate over free speech, academic freedom, and the limits of protest in an increasingly polarized political climate.
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