Columbia University has temporarily suspended 65 students after anti-Israel agitators took over a campus building and handed out pamphlets that glorified an alleged terrorist this week.
The protesters stormed into Columbia University’s Butler Library on Wednesday evening, claiming to have renamed the building “Basel Al-Araj Popular University.” According to the NYPD, 80 arrests were made, with 19 males and 61 females being taken into custody by police. Seventy-eight of those individuals were issued a desk appearance ticket for criminal trespass, and the other two arrested protesters were issued a summons.
Homeland Security Investigations is requesting fingerprints and the names of those arrested to check their visa status.
In addition to the student suspensions, Columbia has also barred an unspecified number of alumni from campus, and 33 others from affiliated institutions.
At the time anti-Israel agitators rushed into the library, students were studying for final exams. Protesters were chanting “Free Palestine” and demanding that the university divest from Israel. Some protesters were seen climbing on tables inside the library.
During the library takeover, students handed out pamphlets glorifying Basel Al-Araj Popular University, an alleged terrorist who was suspected of planning attacks in Israel, according to The Times of Israel.
Al-Araj was killed by the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police’s counterterrorism unit in 2017. Officials allege he was part of a terrorist cell plotting attacks on Israeli targets.
He “directed the cell and was responsible for purchasing the weaponry,” police said at the time.
Al-Araj was killed after he opened fire on Israeli authorities during an arrest raid.
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which helped organize the library takeover, posted a portion of the pamphlet on its X account.
Portions of the material handed out to students were posted online, showing the campus groups made a hero out of Al-Araj.
“At the original Popular University project in the West Bank, Basel al-Araj taught about the Palestinian resistance and insisted that knowledge must serve liberation, not empire,” reads the pamphlet posted by CU Apartheid Divest. “Today, we teach each other the stories our universities refuse to tell. We feed each other, protect each other, learn with and from each other. The Popular University is not only a demand for divestment.”
Included in the pamphlets is a list of demands, which include divestment from Israel, “Cops and ICE off our campus” and amnesty for all Columbia University members facing discipline.
Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, said in a statement Wednesday the NYPD was called to help “secure” the library. She added that two university police officers were injured.
“Sadly, during the course of this disruption, two of our Columbia Public Safety Officers sustained injuries during a crowd surge when individuals attempted to force their way into the building and into Room 301,” Shipman said. “These actions are outrageous.”
In a separate statement, Shipman called out the library takeover as unacceptable.
“Disruptions to our academic activities will not be tolerated and are violations of our rules and policies; this is especially unacceptable while our students study and prepare for final exams. Columbia strongly condemns violence on our campus, antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination, some of which we witnessed today. We are resolute that calls for violence or harm have no place at our University,” Shipman said.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Alexis McAdams, Jennifer Johnson, Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
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