Columbia University announced disciplinary measures on Tuesday against pro-Palestinian Arab student protesters involved in the takeover of a campus library in early May, Reuters reported.
The university stated that participants violated school rules and would face consequences ranging from probation to multi-year suspensions, expulsion, and revocation of degrees. “Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences,” Columbia said.
Columbia for Palestine, a student group, reported that 80 students had received disciplinary notices, calling it the largest mass suspension for a single political protest in the university’s history.
The university previously temporarily suspended 65 students after the May protest which led to the takeover of Butler Library.
The protest occurred amid rising tensions on US campuses over the war in Gaza. President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January, has criticized universities, including Columbia, for failing to address antisemitism, accusing them of tolerating harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.
In March, the Trump administration revoked hundreds of millions in federal research grants from Columbia over its handling of earlier campus protests.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that discussions are underway between Columbia University's board of trustees and the Trump administration regarding a potential agreement to reinstate some of the university's federal funding.
Columbia had previously agreed to demands from the Trump administration, including restricting masks and empowering campus police, but these concessions did not lead to the restoration of federal funding.