Columbia University Suspends Dozens After Gaza Protest—Innocent Bystanders Caught Up

More than 65 Columbia University students—some merely studying, others covering the scene—have been suspended following a pro-Palestinian protest that occupied a library reading room. Activists demanded an academic boycott over Gaza. Administrators called NYPD to clear trespassers, resulting in dozens of arrests. But the university escalated, imposing immediate suspensions on everyone present, including students who say they weren’t protesting. After backlash, Columbia reinstated some bystanders, but many protest participants remain barred from campus mid-semester. Civil liberties groups condemn the move as “collective punishment,” warning it chills free speech on campus. The administration insists the protest disrupted academic operations, citing safety and property concerns. With final exams looming, tensions are high, fueling debate over balancing protest rights and institutional rules.