Over 100 Anti-Israel Protesters Storm Columbia's Butler Library, Leading to Arrests

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Updated May 7, 2025, 10:59 PM

Masked anti-Israel protesters, numbering over 100, stormed Columbia University's Butler Library on Wednesday afternoon, disrupting students studying for finals. The protesters pushed past campus security, chanting 'Free Palestine' and banging on drums, and were rallying in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the accused ringleader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia.

The group, identified as Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of student groups, renamed the library the 'Basel Al-Araj Popular University' and declared it a 'liberation zone.' They engaged in vandalism, writing slogans like 'COLUMBIA WILL BURN 4 THE MARTYRS' and 'FREE PALESTINE.' The protesters demanded that Columbia divest from Israel and remove police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from campus.

Columbia University's administration responded by demanding identification from the protesters, warning that failure to comply could result in arrests. Several protesters were arrested, and others were blocked from leaving without showing their IDs. Someone pulled a fire alarm, and campus security used handcuffs on the library entrance doors to prevent more protesters from entering. The university stated that such disruptions would not be tolerated and those involved would face disciplinary consequences.

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#Israel #Columbia University #Butler Library #Free Palestine #Mahmoud Khalil #Palestinian #Columbia #Columbia University Apartheid Divest #Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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DESTRUCTIVE DEFIANCE: Over 100 masked anti-Israel agitators have taken over the Butler Library at @Columbia University in New York City, after storming into the building and pushing past campus security as students prepare for finals. https://t.co/q7F8ro4ukM