The New York Police Department arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian activists who had occupied part of the main library building on Columbia University’s campus, ending an hours-long standoff. The arrests come roughly a year after student anti-war protests swept the Ivy League school.
Claire Shipman, the university’s acting president, said she asked the NYPD to help clear the building after protesters refused to leave despite being threatened with disciplinary action and possible arrest for trespassing. Video shared on social media showed protesters handcuffed with zip ties being led out of the building. The student-run Columbia Daily Spectator reported that about 75 protesters were arrested.
Shipman described the protesters’ actions as “outrageous” and said requesting the NYPD was “absolutely necessary to secure the safety of our community”. The Trump administration has in recent months launched a sweeping crackdown on student demonstrators, including the recently released Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia student, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate, who remains in custody.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said on X: “We are reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University’s library.”
