Context:

Columbia University took a more aggressive stance against pro-Palestinian demonstrators who occupied Butler Library, a stark contrast to their previous hands-off approach during a similar protest at Hamilton Hall a year prior. The intervention by unarmed campus security, followed by New York police, led to the arrest of about 80 demonstrators, highlighting a shift in the university's response to disruptive protests. This change in approach was partly influenced by pressure from the Trump administration's antisemitism task force, which had previously cut significant federal funding due to perceived inaction by the university. The protest, organized by the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group, drew criticism for its physical confrontations, although demonstrators remained defiant. The incident has prompted discussions about protest discipline at Columbia, including potential changes to oversight and increased risks for international students involved in such activities, due to potential visa status reviews by immigration authorities.

Dive Deeper:

• The protest at Butler Library ended in a four-hour standoff, with security officers aggressively intervening and using newly granted powers to arrest demonstrators before the New York police completed the operation. This marks a significant departure from the previous year's protest at Hamilton Hall, where security was minimal and non-confrontational.

• The university's decision to call the police and take a tougher stance was partly a response to criticism from the Trump administration's antisemitism task force, which had previously cut over $400 million in research funding, citing Columbia's failure to protect Jewish students.

• Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the group behind the protest, has adopted more hard-line rhetoric over the past year, publishing manifestoes supporting armed resistance by groups considered terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.

• The protest led to significant damage to the library, including graffiti with slogans supporting Palestine, and resulted in injuries to both public safety officers and demonstrators, with one protester taken out on a stretcher.

• Acting President Claire Shipman emphasized that the demonstrators had crossed a line into actions that endangered others and could disrupt university operations, indicating that Columbia's disciplinary procedures would reflect the severity of these actions.

• The university plans to move the judicial board overseeing protest discipline to the provost's office to increase control, responding to federal demands for stricter oversight.

• International students involved in the protest face heightened risks, including potential deportation, as the State Department considers reviewing their visa statuses, although such actions would require coordination with local law enforcement and immigration authorities.