Columbia University students expelled: Action over anti-Israel protests; nearly 80 punished

Columbia University said on Tuesday that it has punished several students for their role in anti-Israel protests held on campus in 2024. The actions include expulsions, suspensions, and even revoking degrees.

While the university did not share exact numbers, a student group said nearly 80 students have been targeted. These punishments are linked to two specific protest events — a sit-in at the university library in May and a protest encampment during alumni weekend in spring. Columbia said the library protest disrupted hundreds of students during exam preparation time. Disciplinary measures included probation, suspensions lasting from one to three years, degree cancellations, and permanent expulsions. This crackdown comes as Colombia negotiates with the Trump administration to regain $400 million in federal funds that were cut. Trump has accused top universities like Columbia and Harvard of not doing enough to stop alleged anti-Semitism during protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Columbia, which was at the centre of last year’s campus protests, has now agreed to introduce several policy reforms as part of the funding talks.

Some students say these changes are giving in to political pressure. Meanwhile, Harvard is challenging the funding cuts in court. Columbia said this was the final set of disciplinary actions related to last spring’s protests. The student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which supports cutting financial ties with Israel, said the punishments for the library protest were far harsher than those for past demonstrations. “We will not be deterred,” the group said, adding that they remain committed to supporting Palestine.