Columbia University suspends and expels students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests - War on Gaza
A student activist group said nearly 80 students were told they have been suspended for one to three years or expelled. The sanctions issued by a university judicial board also include probation and degree revocations, Columbia said in a statement.
The action comes as the Manhattan University is negotiating with President Donald Trump's administration to restore $400 million in federal funding it has withheld from the Ivy League school over its handling of student protests against the Israeli war on Gaza. The administration pulled the funding, cancelling grants and contracts, in March because of what it described as the university's failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023.
Columbia has since agreed to a series of demands laid out by the Republican administration, including overhauling the university's student disciplinary process and adopting a new definition of antisemitism.
'Our institution must focus on delivering on its academic mission for our community,' the university said Tuesday. 'And to create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution's fundamental work, policies, and rules. Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.'
It did not disclose the names of the students who were disciplined.
Columbia in May said it would lay off nearly 180 staffers and scale back research in response to the loss of funding. Those receiving nonrenewal or termination notices represent about 20% of the employees funded in some manner by the terminated federal grants, the university said.
A student activist group said the newly announced disciplinary action exceeds sentencing precedent for prior protests. Suspended students would be required to submit apologies in order to be allowed back on campus or face expulsion, the group said, something some students will refuse to do.
'We will not be deterred. We are committed to the struggle for Palestinian liberation,' Columbia University Apartheid Divest said in a statement.
Columbia was at the forefront of U.S. campus protests over the war in spring 2024. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up an encampment and seized a campus building in April, leading to dozens of arrests and inspiring a wave of similar protests nationally.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has cut funding to several top U.S. universities he viewed as too tolerant of antisemitism.
The administration has also cracked down on individual student protesters. Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident with no criminal record, was detained in March over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. He is now suing the Trump administration, alleging he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
9 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt's "National Alliance" Reaffirms Readiness to Resume Gaza Aid Convoys
Taarek Refaat Egypt's National Alliance for Civil Development Work announced on Friday that its member organizations are fully prepared to resume humanitarian convoys to the Gaza Strip as soon as border crossings reopen, reaffirming their long-standing commitment to supporting Palestinians amid ongoing humanitarian hardship. In an official statement, the Alliance highlighted its unwavering support for Gaza since the onset of the Israeli assault on October 7, 2023. Since then, the Alliance has played a central role in organizing Egypt's civil society response, launching multiple large-scale convoys loaded with food, medical supplies, and shelter materials. 'From the very first day, our institutions stood in solidarity with the people of Gaza,' the Alliance stated. 'The convoys reflected the deep-rooted bond between the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples.' According to the Alliance, it has spearheaded one of the largest humanitarian operations conducted by Egyptian civil society, dispatching ten major convoys comprising 3,127 trucks and delivering over 63,000 tons of aid to the besieged enclave. The initial convoy alone, launched shortly after the outbreak of violence in October 2023, included 108 trailers packed with urgent humanitarian relief. Daily efforts have since continued with an average of 50 trucks per day transporting food, medicine, and emergency supplies to civilians in dire need. The Alliance credited its operational success to the collective efforts of its member institutions and close coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent, which plays a vital role in facilitating the delivery of aid through Egypt's Rafah crossing into Gaza. Looking ahead, the National Alliance pledged to continue mobilizing resources and expanding relief efforts, emphasizing its readiness to act the moment access is restored. 'We are committed to sustaining our response,' the statement read. 'Every effort will be made to ensure aid reaches those who need it most, as swiftly and efficiently as possible.' The Gaza Strip remains under severe humanitarian strain, with infrastructure decimated and access to basic services critically limited. Aid organizations have warned that any prolonged disruption in relief delivery could worsen already catastrophic conditions. Egypt's civil society response, led by the Alliance, is widely seen as a vital lifeline for the more than two million residents of the blockaded territory. With border access still restricted, the resumption of aid convoys remains contingent on political and logistical developments in the coming days. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Al-Ahram Weekly
9 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Hundreds of Lebanese welcome Pro-Palestinian militant released after 40 years in French jail - Region
Hundreds of Lebanese gathered near Beirut International Airport on Thursday to welcome Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, the pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant released after 41 years in French detention, according to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen. French authorities deported Abdallah a day earlier than expected in what Al-Mayadeen described as an attempt to disrupt the planned reception and celebrations. The outlet referred to Abdallah as a 'revolutionary activist'. A post on X by the network said: 'After 41 years in a French prison, Lebanese revolutionary and activist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah has finally been freed. Today, he arrived in Beirut, reuniting with his family and comrades, as countless supporters have long awaited his return.' 'Despite relentless Western pressure to trade his political principles for his legal right to freedom, Abdallah never caved in, choosing to spend most of his life behind bars rather than abandon the cause he stands for,' it added. A photo taken on 3 July 1986 shows former Lebanese militiaman Georges Ibrahim Abdallah during his trial for complicity in the murder of two diplomats, for which Abdallah was sentenced to life imprisonment. AFP Supporters gathered outside the airport, waving Lebanese and Palestinian flags and chanting in support of Abdallah. Some banged on drums and held up Palestinian and Lebanese Communist Party flags and a banner reading, 'George Abdallah is free — a Lebanese, Palestinian and international freedom fighter on the road to liberating Palestine,' AP reported. 🇱🇧 DIRECT I Le monde continue d'arriver devant l'aéroport de Beyrouth en soutien à Georges Ibrahim Abdallah. L'ancien prisonnier politique, enfermé pendant 41 ans, devrait arriver dans les prochaines minutes. Enorme émotion sur place. — Révolution Permanente (@RevPermanente) July 25, 2025 Abdallah, a former leader of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions, was convicted in France in 1987 over the 1982 assassinations of a US military attaché and an Israeli diplomat. He became eligible for release in 1999 but remained imprisoned amid political opposition from successive French governments, under pressure from the United States and Israel. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
9 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
French move, global outrage at starving Gaza put recognizing Palestine on map in Europe - War on Gaza
Israel's genocidal war and starvation policies in Gaza have sent shivers down the spines of millions around the world and reignited a momentum in several European countries to push leaders to recognise Palestinian statehood. Pressures on various European capitals to return to demanding that Israel accepts a two-state solution increased after French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that his country would recognise a Palestinian state in September at the upcoming UN General Assembly. The French announcement of intent to become the 143rd country to recognize Palestinian Statehood was met with warm praise in the Arab world from Egypt, Jordan, the Arab Gulf States, and the Palestinian presidency. In the UK, MPs and broad segments of the public were pressuring the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer to follow in the French steps. In Germany and Italy, two countries that have long supported the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in principle, the governments of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that while they support a ceasefire in the Gaza war and unfettered entry of aid to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians but the timing for recognizing aPalestinian statehood might not be right. For nearly two years, endless pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Europe pressured several governments into coming out against the Israeli war, but could not pressure them into recognizing Palestinian statehood. The French announcement came a few days after France, the UK, and Italy joined 23 European nations and Japan, New Zealand, and Australia in calling for an immediate end to the Israeli war in Gaza and the unfettered entry of aid to the strip to prevent famine in the strip. Earlier this month, the EU rejected a proposal put forward by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose government has led the charge in opposing the Israeli war in Gaza from its start within the old continent, to suspend the EU-Israel Association agreement and block imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank over Israeli violations of international law. This week, in several European capitals, demonstrations and outrage by broad segments of the public over the death of starving Palestinians on top of 200,000 killed and wounded since October 2023, plus calls by many left-leaning and pro-Palestinian MPs for recognition of the State of Palestine, have increased pressure on several European governments to consider the matter. These public calls in the old continent for leaders to recognise Palestinian statehood have also intensified in the past several days as the images of dead or dying, starving, and emaciated Palestinians, including children, due to the five-month-old Israeli blockade on any food or water to Gaza. They also intensified after Israel and the US walked away from ceasefire talks with Hamas, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, dashing hopes among many around the world that the carnage in Gaza was nearing its end. On Friday, Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin, a staunch opponent of the Israeli war in Gaza, welcomed France's move, calling it 'very significant' and noting it would make France the first G7 nation to take such a step. Ireland, Spain and Norway formally recognized Palestine in May 2024. Mounting pressure In Westminster, a parliamentary report published Friday urged immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood. 'The UK has missed multiple opportunities to act decisively in the past. We must not let another opportunity pass us by,' wrote Emily Thornberry, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the UK Parliament. Senior Labour figures have expressed support for recognition, while the Liberal Democrats have warned that the UK must not 'fall behind' its European allies. Also on Friday, more than 220 MPs called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to formally recognise the State of Palestine, less than 24 hours after France announced its intention to do so, according to AFP. The demand came in a letter organised by Labour MP Sarah Champion, who chairs the International Development Committee, Sky News reported. The letter stated that UK recognition would carry particular weight, given Britain's authorship of the Balfour Declaration and its former role as the Mandatory Power in Palestine. "Since 1980 we have backed a two-state solution. Such recognition would give that position substance, as well as fulfil a historic responsibility to the people under that Mandate," it added. So far, Downing Street has resisted these calls, insisting a ceasefire in Israel's war on Gaza must come first. Ministers have maintained that sovereignty should only be recognised 'at the moment of attaining statehood.' On Friday, Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, said it had "no plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term." A government spokesperson said Berlin considers recognition one of the final steps toward a two-state solution, adding: "Israel's security is of paramount importance to the German government." Along the same lines, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that while Rome could not accept the "carnage and famine" in Gaza, it was not ready to join France. "We can no longer accept carnage and famine," he said, according to ANSA. He added Italy would only recognise a Palestinian state "at the same time as their recognition of the state of Israel." Italian Prime Minister Meloni called the situation in Gaza "dramatic" on Wednesday, stating: "No military action can justify attacks against civilians." The UK PM Starmer was expected to join an emergency call with Macron and Chancellor Merz to discuss the spiralling humanitarian crisis. More than 100 humanitarian organisations have warned of imminent famine. On Friday, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said its teams are "witnessing catastrophic levels of malnutrition", reporting that one in four young children and pregnant women screened were malnourished. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
