Columbia University Expels Students for Hamilton Hall Protest Actions

On Thursday, Columbia University took action against some students involved in a protest last spring. These students had occupied Hamilton Hall as part of a pro-Palestinian protest. The university decided to expel some students, while others got suspensions or had their diplomas revoked. Columbia did not share the exact number of students affected but said the actions were based on how serious the students’ behaviors were.

In an official statement, Columbia University said, “The Judicial Board made decisions based on how severe the actions were during the protests and earlier behavior.” They also mentioned that these decisions came after investigations and hearings.

Columbia University has been under a lot of pressure about how they handle protests. Recently, the Trump administration took away over $400 million in federal funding because of worries about antisemitism on campus.

The protests started as part of a broader movement against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. While most protests were peaceful, things changed on April 30, 2024, when a group of students locked themselves inside Hamilton Hall using furniture to block the doors. The police entered the campus on May 1 and arrested many protesters tied to both the tent camp and the building occupation.

Even though the District Attorney dropped charges for some of the arrested students, Columbia still moved forward with their disciplinary actions. The NYPD confirmed in a letter that some people involved in the building occupation were not students at Columbia. They stated, “Those who occupied Hamilton Hall damaged university property and were trespassing.”

A university official said that holding students accountable for breaking rules is a crucial step in focusing back on the main goals of teaching and research.