Columbia University Library Occupied Amid Pro-Palestinian Protest

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Anti-Israel protesters occupied Butler Library at Columbia University on Wednesday evening, leading to 80 arrests, as students prepared for finals. The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to the scene after protesters refused to leave the library, which they temporarily renamed ‘Basel Al-Araj Popular University.’

According to sources, the arrests included 61 females and 19 males, with at least 50 individuals being identified as Columbia students. The protest began around 3 p.m., when demonstrators climbed on desks and chanted slogans demanding the university divest from Israel.

Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, stated in a press release that the NYPD was called to help secure the library. She also reported that two university police officers sustained injuries during the crowd surge. ‘Sadly, during the course of this disruption, two of our Columbia Public Safety Officers sustained injuries,’ Shipman said. ‘These actions are outrageous.’

Following the event, she condemned the occupation, emphasizing that disruptions to academic activities are unacceptable, particularly as students prepared for finals. ‘We are resolute that calls for violence or harm have no place at our University,’ Shipman added.

As the situation unfolded, several pro-Hamas slogans were posted inside the library. ICE officials were present, assessing if any detained individuals were noncitizens. A source within the agency remarked, ‘Time to make a point.’

The library reopened Thursday morning, albeit after police had cleared the building. Many of the detained protesters were not affiliated with the university. Two protesters received summonses for disorderly conduct, while others were issued desk appearance tickets.

Shipman expressed her disappointment upon witnessing the aftermath of the protest. ‘I arrived to see one of our Public Safety officers wheeled out on a gurney and another getting bandaged,’ she said in a video statement. ‘Violence and vandalism, hijacking a library – none of that has any place on our campus.’

As demonstrations continued, students reacted differently to the protest. Some expressed support for the disruption, accusing Columbia of complicity in global injustices. Adam Sabes contributed to this report.