Professional-Palestinian Demonstrators Occupy Columbia College’s Most important Library

Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators flooded into the primary library on Columbia College’s campus on Wednesday afternoon and occupied a part of the constructing, in an try to rekindle the protest motion that swept campus final spring.

The protesters, sporting masks and kaffiyehs, hung banners within the hovering fundamental room of Butler Library’s second ground, renaming the house “the Basel Al-Araj Standard College,” based on the demonstrators and witnesses on the library.

Columbia College Apartheid Divest, a protest motion on campus, stated in a Substack put up that it had occupied the constructing to “present that so long as Columbia funds and earnings from imperialist violence, the individuals will proceed to disrupt Columbia’s earnings and legitimacy.”

The protest comes because the Trump administration has been cracking down on Columbia over what it calls its failure to guard Jewish college students from harassment, slicing greater than $400 million in federal analysis funding to the college. The college has been below huge stress to stem disruptive pro-Palestinian protests, significantly people who name for an finish to the state of Israel.

It was not clear whether or not the protest could be a quick demonstration or a prolonged occupation of the library. The protests at Columbia final spring got here to a head when college students and others entered Hamilton Corridor, a campus constructing, in late April, main the college’s president on the time to name within the police about 24 hours into the occupation.

On Wednesday, the demonstrators pushed previous a library safety guard shortly after 3 p.m., carrying tote baggage and backpacks, earlier than heading up the steps to the primary studying room, video posted on social media confirmed. After chanting pro-Palestinian slogans for about an hour, among the protesters tried to depart however have been prevented by a row of Columbia public security officers.

A college spokeswoman stated that the disruption was restricted to a single studying room. Demonstrators have been being requested for identification earlier than they’d be permitted to disperse, an announcement from Columbia stated. The assertion added that the protesters would face penalties.

“It’s utterly unacceptable that some people are selecting to disrupt tutorial actions as our college students are finding out and making ready for closing exams,” the assertion stated.

Public safety officers evacuated college students from the library, which was stuffed with individuals finding out. A Police Division spokesman stated that about 60 individuals have been concerned within the protest as of 4 p.m.

Anvee Bhutani contributed reporting.