Columbia Suspends & Expels More Than 70 Students Over Pro-Palestinian Protests

Columbia University has taken disciplinary action against more than 70 students linked to pro-Palestinian protests held on campus between 2023 and 2024, including a major demonstration inside the university’s Butler Library, according to a CNN report published late Tuesday. 

Disciplinary Action Tied to Campus Protests

According to a university statement, sanctions include probation, suspensions ranging from one to three years, degree revocations, and expulsions.

“Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences,” the university said, per CNN.

A source familiar with the matter told the US-based publication that around 80% of the sanctioned students received suspensions or more severe penalties. Most of the suspensions are for at least two years, and several students face permanent expulsion or loss of degrees.

Funding Pressure from Trump Administration

The latest crackdown comes as Columbia seeks to restore access to $400 million in federal funding, which was pulled earlier this year by President Donald Trump-led administration. The Trump team accused Columbia of failing to address antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Columbia has reportedly agreed to meet several of the administration’s conditions, including overhauling its disciplinary process and adopting a new definition of antisemitism. Reports suggest negotiations with the White House are underway, and a potential deal may be close to the seal.

The institution “must focus on delivering on its academic mission” for the community, Columbia further said in its Tuesday statement. “And to create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution’s fundamental work, policies, and rules.”

Outrage and Resistance

The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) called the move “grotesquely oppressive,” as reported by CNN.

“The students sat in unity to urge ending complicity in an active genocide,” CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher reportedly said, adding, “Columbia, seemingly bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration, has done more than undermine free speech and higher education.”

Student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest also condemned the sanctions, saying, “We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,” as reported by The Associated Press.

Claiming that the punishments exceed precedent, they suggested that some suspended students are being asked to submit formal apologies to return – something several of them have refused to do.

Larger Impacts on Campus

The sanctions come against the backdrop of an upheaval at Columbia, which in May had said that it would lay off nearly 180 staff members and scale back research due to the loss of federal funds, per the AP. Those affected represent about 20% of the staff funded by those grants.

Columbia was a major hub for US campus protests during the spring 2024 pro-Palestinian movement, which saw demonstrators occupy buildings and set up encampments, sparking a nationwide wave of student-led demonstrations.