This week at Columbia University, a student-led protest in support of Palestine led to clashes with campus security at the school’s main library, bringing national attention once again to the ongoing campus demonstrations.
What Happened Inside the Library
According to Columbia’s student newspaper, The Columbia Daily Spectator, a group of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered in the Lawrence A. Wien Reading Room inside Butler Library on Wednesday. They were taking part in an “Emergency Rally,” which was part of a growing movement by students calling for Columbia to cut financial ties with companies linked to Israel.
However, after the protest began, security officers from Columbia’s Department of Public Safety stopped the protestors from leaving the room. Other students inside the library were asked to leave the building, and officers stood guard at the doors to stop anyone else from entering.
A Protest Becomes a Standoff
Outside the library, some protestors managed to get past the first set of doors and into a small lobby area known as a vestibule. But public safety officers quickly shut and locked the inner doors using handcuffs to secure them.
One group supporting the protest, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), posted on Substack that more than 100 people had “flooded” Butler Library and renamed it the “Basel Al-Araj Popular University,” in honor of a Palestinian activist. They said their actions were meant to disrupt Columbia’s financial interests and make a strong statement against what they call “imperialist violence.”
The group also warned that if the university continues using force or security pressure, their protests will grow stronger in response.
Public Safety Tries to Keep the Peace
According to the Spectator, a Public Safety officer was heard trying to calm protestors, saying, “We don’t want to bring the NYPD on campus… we don’t want to have to fight you on this one, please.”
Despite that, the situation became tense enough that Columbia University officially asked the New York Police Department (NYPD) to help manage the incident. The NYPD later confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that they were responding to a case of “individuals occupying a library and trespassing.”
Protestors in the reading room were told they could leave peacefully if they showed their student ID cards.
Columbia Responds to the Escalation
Acting President Claire Shipman released a statement on Wednesday saying that some protestors still refused to leave the library or show identification. She explained that the university was concerned not just about the protest inside, but also about large groups trying to force their way in from outside.
Shipman added that many of the individuals involved may not even be students, raising security concerns for the campus community. Because of this, Columbia felt it was necessary to involve the NYPD to ensure everyone’s safety and protect university property.
This protest is the latest in a series of student-led movements on campuses across the country, where many are demanding that their schools take a stand in global issues. While the protest at Columbia turned tense, the larger message from students is clear—they want their voices heard, and they are willing to push for change, even if it means challenging authority.
