Protesters Disrupt Columbia University Library, Attempt to Make it a ‘Liberated Zone’
A mob of protesters took over a room at Columbia University’s Butler Library on Wednesday. This prompted the NYPD to get involved and detain about 80 people “who did not comply with verbal warnings… to disperse.”
As with the encampments of 2024, the protesters aimed to make the library a “liberated zone,” hanging banners throughout the library in a manner similar to the encampment of 2024. They pushed past security and disrupted students who were studying in the library. The protesters also renamed the library “Basel Al-Araj Popular University.” They chanted “Intifada Revolution… Palestine will be free… There is only one solution.”
The library incident has prompted a stern reaction from several governmental agencies, along with the university itself.
According to Fox News, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was also monitoring the situation. If arrests were made, the suspects were to be fingerprinted to determine if any are non-citizens.”
The State Department issued the following warning to international students involved in the protests:
”Foreign university students in America have been put on notice: if you break the law or support terrorism in our country, we will revoke your visa. This administration will not tolerate noncitizens causing mayhem on our college campuses.”
Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman expressed her frustration with the library disruption as the university works to address campus safety issues needed to regain federal funding:
“I am particularly heartbroken, and incensed, that this disruption occurred when our students are intensely focused on critical academic work,” Shipman said. “At a moment when our community deserves calm and the opportunity to study, reflect, and complete the academic year successfully, these actions created unnecessary stress and danger. I have seen how much our community wants to take back our narrative, to do what they came to Columbia to do—learn, thrive, and grow—not take over a library.”
Shipman noted she is “deeply disturbed at the idea that, at a moment when our international community feels particularly vulnerable, a small group of students would choose to make our institution a target.”
The Department of Homeland Security Joint Task Force issued a statement applauding the way the university handled the incident at the library.
“The Task Force is encouraged by Acting President Shipman’s strong and resolute statement regarding the unlawful, violent and disgraceful takeover of Butler library yesterday. She has stepped in to lead Columbia at a critical juncture and has met the moment with fortitude and conviction,” the HHS stated. “The Task Force is keeping the public safety officers that were injured, and their families, in our thoughts. Importantly, we concur with Acting President Shipman that what happened was utterly unacceptable.”
