Columbia University students and graduates staged a protest over the weekend in response to the university’s recent decision to cooperate with the Trump administration’s needs to combat antisemitism on college and the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a notable pro-Palestinian administrator.
The demonstration included several graduate students from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs ( SIPA ) shredding their diplomas in protest. “SIPA and Columbia are working against the incredible work their kids are making to envision a world where Palestinians can appreciate their whole man, civil, and regional rights”, one of the protesters declared earlier tearing her certificate in third. “SIPA is never happy, we are enraged. We may continue to rage at this establishment until Mahmoud Khalil is free”.
Another prototype officially renounced her education before destroying her certification. Many other protesters followed suit, while slogans of” Free, complimentary Palestine” echoed through the meeting.
Fox News , reports that the march took place on Saturday during Columbia’s Alumni Day party. Amid the growing turmoil, Columbia’s time leader, Katrina Armstrong, resigned from her post on Friday.
” As the University has made clear, any problems to our educational goal, our schools, or our education areas is intolerable, and the University does maintain its policies and rules as necessary”, a school director told , Fox News Digital.  ,” The University is aware of Saturday’s off-campus opposition and the show took place without event”.
The Trump administration just withdrew$ 400 million in federal funding from Columbia, citing the university’s failing to curb pro-Palestinian presentations that had allegedly turned violent. Also, the administration imposed a moratorium on student demonstrators wearing masks or other face covering.
Khalil was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) agents in early March as part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to revoke the green cards of individuals with suspected ties to Hamas. The Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) stated that Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization”.
Khalil, according to his LinkedIn profile, recently studied at Lebanese American University in Beirut before enrolling in Columbia’s master’s system in public management in January 2023. He is now fighting repatriation in court.
