Columbia University Suspends 2 Pro-Palestinian Student Groups

The school cited safety concerns following reports of ’threatening rhetoric and intimidation' at an unauthorized event.

Columbia students participate in a rally in support of Palestine at the university in New York City, on Oct. 12, 2023. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Columbia University has suspended two student organizations, citing repeated violations of university policies related to campus protests calling for a cease-fire in the Israel–Hamas conflict in Gaza.

The university’s vice president, Gerald Rosberg, who is also chair of the Special Committee on Campus Safety, announced the suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), which described itself as a progressive anti-Zionist group, through the end of the fall semester.