Suspension of most Columbia University students disciplined over Gaza protests is removed

Many students had faced disciplinary action, suspension or arrest for participating in protests opposing Israel's war in Gaza

Police detain a protester as other police officers enter the campus of Columbia University, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, US, April 30, 2024. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File Photo

Most students at Columbia University who faced disciplinary action, suspension or arrest for participating in pro-Palestinian protests opposing Israel's war in Gaza and calling for an end to US military support to its ally, will soon return to campus, information shared by the institute showed.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The United States has seen months of protests, including at Columbia and many educational institutions. Columbia's handling of those protests led to the resignation of its president, Minouche Shafik, last week.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia had set up dozens of tents in April and demanded the university sell its Israeli assets. The university administration called on police to clear the encampments, a step condemned by rights groups.

BY THE NUMBERS

From the 40 students arrested or disciplined when the university called upon police to the campus on April 18, only two remain suspended, according to information released by a Republican-led US congressional panel.

The panel probing allegations of antisemitism on campus asked for this information from the university and was critical of Columbia by saying its actions were insufficient.

From the over 80 students arrested between April 29 and May 1, only five now face interim suspension without access to the campus, the information released on Monday showed.

CONTEXT

Protests in some universities saw occasional violence while police made arrests on campuses to clear encampments.

Dozens of protesters were arrested inside Columbia's famous Hamilton Hall that demonstrators occupied, with medical records showing some suffered serious injuries.

The information shared by the university showed dozens of disciplinary cases are ongoing. Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a group behind the protests, said those students could still face disciplinary action.

Information released on Monday showed Columbia did not charge any protesting students with hate speech.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct 7 when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault on Hamas-governed Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis and killed over 40,000 people, the Hamas-run health ministry says.