Columbia University kicks out and suspends dozens of students for protesting in support of Palestine in the wake of the Gaza War
About 80 students at Columbia University have been kicked out, suspended, or had their degrees taken away because they spoke out against Israel’s war on Gaza.
Because they took part in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s continuing war on Gaza, Columbia University has kicked out or suspended almost 80 students, some for up to three years, and taken away their degrees.
The most recent punishment was given because of problems caused by students at Butler Library in May 2025 and during Alumni Weekend in the spring of 2024.
Columbia said on Tuesday that interruptions of academic activities are against University policies and rules, and there will be consequences for those who break the rules.
The student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) spoke out against the sanctions. They want the university to cut all financial links with Israel.
CUAD said, “The university’s punishments for the students far exceed what has ever been done before for teach-ins or building occupations that are not related to Palestine.”
“We will not give up.” We are committed to the fight for the freedom of the Palestinians.
In 2024, protests at Columbia, especially the camps on campus, helped start a wave of student-led opposition around the world to Israel’s military operation in Gaza. In the end, Columbia let NYPD police onto campus to break down protest sites and arrest protesters.
Even though the police cracked down, student activists kept holding protests. In May 2025, they even took over Butler Library during final exams. Protesters asked people to stop investing in companies that do business with the Israeli military and showed support for the civilians in Gaza who are constantly being bombed.
The Judicial Board of the university confirmed that the suspensions, expulsions, and degree revocations were the “final set of findings” for that protest time. It wasn’t said how many kids were kicked out for good.
Columbia is also under political pressure because it is in talks with the Trump government to get back about $400 million in federal funding. The government took away the money because they said the university did not “meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment.”
Students have spoken out against Claire Shipman, who is acting president of Columbia and was a trustee in the past. She was booed at the May graduation event for how she handled the protests.
Columbia’s crackdown is a sign of wider problems between the federal government and top US colleges. Harvard University, which could also lose billions of dollars in funding, has taken the Trump government to court as a response.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza is getting tighter at the same time as the punishments. Columbia made its statement on the same day that health officials in the area said at least 15 people, including a six-week-old baby, had died in the previous 24 hours from not getting enough food or not eating enough.
At the same time, Mahmoud Khalil, a well-known protest leader from Columbia who was wanted by the Trump administration to be deported, met with US politicians in Washington, DC. After being freed from immigration detention in Louisiana not long ago, this comes after the government promised to deport pro-Palestinian activists.
Even though they are getting harsh responses from institutions and the government, CUAD and other student groups have promised to keep fighting for Palestinian rights and pulling their money out of companies that support Israel’s military rule.
