Why it matters:
The university students are arrested or suspended in the U.S. due to their support for the Palestinians under the U.S.-backed Israeli strikes. The crackdowns are happening in a country that calls itself a cradle of "freedom of expression."
The big picture:
On Wednesday, scores of students were arrested after occupying part of the university’s main library in one of the most significant pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Since last year's demonstrations against Israel's war on Gaza. At the request of university officials, New York Police Department officers were dispatched to suppress the protest.
What they're saying:
Organizers of Wednesday's protest reiterated their demand that the university stop investing its $14.8 billion endowment in weapons manufacturers and companies linked to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and the massacre of people in Gaza.
Key points:
- The students were placed on interim suspension and will be prohibited from taking their final exams.
- Columbia also barred 33 other people from campus, including students from other colleges and alumni.
- In March, the Trump administration announced penalties against the university in response to previous pro-Palestinian protests.
Go deeper:
Columbia Protesters Occupy Butler Library, Push for Renaming
seyed mohammad kazemi
