Police Arrest Pro-Palestinian Protesters Occupying Columbia University Library
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. government is reviewing the visa status of the ’trespassers and vandals who took over the university’s library.’
Pro-Palestinian protesters are loaded into NYPD buses after being detained by public safety officers, following a protest at Butler Library on the campus of Columbia University in New York on May 7, 2025. Ryan Murphy/Reuters
Multiple people were arrested on May 7 during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University in New York.
Dozens of protesters stood on tables, beat drums, and unfurled pro-Palestinian banners in the reading room of Columbia University’s main library on Wednesday.
Videos and photographs on social media showed protesters, most wearing masks, with banners saying “Strike For Gaza” and “Liberated Zone” beneath the Lawrence A. Wein Reading Room’s chandeliers in the Butler Library.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to the incident at the request of the university.
“The NYPD responded to an ongoing situation on campus where individuals have occupied a library and are trespassing,” a department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to NTD, sister media of The Epoch Times. “Multiple individuals who did not comply with verbal warnings by the NYPD to disperse were taken into custody.”
A police spokesperson late Wednesday said the department wasn’t able to provide a number for how many were arrested.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned activists in a statement on X that those who have trespassed and don’t attend the university must exit the campus immediately or face arrest.
According to the university’s statement on Wednesday afternoon, the incident happened inside a reading room at the Butler Library. Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, said people involved were repeatedly asked to show identification and to leave the premises.
“Due to the number of individuals participating in the disruption inside and outside of the building, a large group of people attempting to force their way into Butler Library creating a safety hazard, and what we believe to be the significant presence of individuals not affiliated with the university, Columbia has taken the necessary step of requesting the presence of NYPD to assist in securing the building and the safety of our community,” Shipman said in a statement.
Shipman also confirmed that two campus police officers were hurt during the crowd surge.
“These actions are outrageous,” Shipman added, stressing that the university condemns violence on campus, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hate and discrimination.
People take part in a pro-Palestinian protest at Butler Library on the campus of Columbia University in New York on May 7, 2025. Ryan Murphy/Reuters
Footage on social media showed police instructing demonstrators to produce their ID cards or risk getting arrested. Other videos showed police officers escorting demonstrators out of the building in handcuffs.
A social media account for Columbia Jewish and Israeli Students published footage of the clash between protesters and officers.
“Protesters attempting to stampede public safety to avoid being identified as they leave,” the X post stated.
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a pro-Palestinian student group, confirmed in a statement on X that it had occupied part of Butler Library. The group said it refused to show IDs under “militarized arrest” and won’t back down quietly.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday night that the U.S. government is reviewing the visa status of the “trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University’s library.”
The Trump administration earlier this year threatened to cut more of the university’s federal funding for its alleged failure to address anti-Semitic activities on campus.
In March, it pulled $400 million in research grants and other funding over the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which was launched in response to terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
According to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they want to receive federal funding. McMahon said Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students on its campus for too long.
Columbia announced a series of policy changes on campus, including a ban on students wearing masks to conceal their identities and a rule that protesters on campus must present their identification when requested.
The protests mark a resurgence of demonstrations seen last spring against the institution’s ties to Israel. A faculty statement signed by a group of professors in the wake of the Gaza war reaffirmed the university’s commitment to maintaining its ties to Israel.
“As a democracy with constitutional protections for the individual rights of all citizens, and as the home to great universities, Israel shares values, interests and aspirations with us,” the statement said. “Columbia benefits from ties with Israeli faculty, students, research, and technology.”
Rachel Acenas is an experienced journalist and TV news reporter and anchor covering breaking stories and contributing original news content for NTD's digital team.
