Columbia University Restricts Access After Pro-Palestinian Protest and Library Occupation

Campus Security Measures

• 📌 Columbia University has implemented new security measures, restricting campus access following a protest.
• 🔐 Only individuals with a university ID or approved faculty guests are permitted entry; others, including alumni, are denied access.
• 🛡️ Checkpoints have been established, with visible security presence at entrances, such as the one to Butler Library.

Library Occupation and Arrests

• 🏛️ Pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied a room in Butler Library on Wednesday, disrupting students studying for final exams.
• 🚨 University officials called in the NYPD after protesters refused to disperse, leading to the arrest of at least 80 people.
• 💥 The protest involved protesters forcing their way into the building, vandalizing property, and a crowd surge that injured at least two campus safety officers.

Government Review and Protester Accounts

• 🛂 Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a federal review of the visa statuses of those involved in trespassing and vandalism.
• ✊ A student group affiliated with the protesters claimed safety officers used force, including choking and beating, during the arrests.
• 🗣️ Protesters stated they refused to show IDs under what they described as militarized arrest.
• 🚧 Clashes also occurred on the outskirts of campus, with demonstrators pushing barricades and shutting down a block.