Columbia University suspends 65 students after a protest at Butler Library glorified terrorist Basel Al-Araj. During the protest, which disrupted final exam preparations, demonstrators called for divestment from Israel and handed out pamphlets promoting Al-Araj’s actions.
Columbia University has temporarily suspended 65 students after a protest by anti-Israel agitators led to the takeover of Butler Library on Wednesday, Fox News reported.
During the protest, demonstrators distributed pamphlets that glorified terrorist Basel Al-Araj, while chanting “Free Palestine” and calling for the university to divest from Israel.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), 80 arrests were made, with 61 females and 19 males taken into custody. 78 of the arrestees received desk appearance tickets for criminal trespass, while two were issued summonses.
Homeland Security Investigations has requested fingerprints and names to verify the visa status of those detained.
In addition to the student suspensions, the university has prohibited an undisclosed number of alumni and 33 individuals affiliated with other institutions from accessing campus grounds, according to Fox News. The disruptive event took place as students were preparing for final exams, further escalating tensions.
The protesters reportedly renamed the library to “Basel Al-Araj Popular University” in honor of Al-Araj, who was eliminated by Israeli forces in 2017 while attempting to flee and opening fire on Israeli authorities during an arrest operation.
Columbia University has remained on edge in recent weeks amid speculation that protest groups would attempt to rebuild the encampments that dominated Columbia’s campus last spring.
Tensions have further escalated as Columbia navigates sensitive negotiations with the Trump administration, which recently decided to withhold $400 million in federal funding from the university unless it demonstrates meaningful action against antisemitism on campus.
Weeks after the Trump administration announced the funding cut to Columbia, the university announced a series of reforms, including placing the university’s Middle East studies department under new oversight, revising protest and student discipline policies, and adopting a new definition of antisemitism.
Columbia also pledged to promote “intellectual diversity” by expanding its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies.
On Tuesday, however, Columbia announced a significant reduction in staff, cutting approximately 180 positions, citing the administration’s federal funding cuts. The majority of those affected are employed in academic research roles tied to the now-threatened federal grants.
