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Over a hundred masked anti-Israel, Jew-hating protesters stormed Columbia University’s Butler Library like a pack of wolves, shoving past campus security and turning the place into their personal soapbox. Finals are looming, but these folks don’t care— they’ve got a point to make.
Non-protesting students, just trying to cram for exams, told Fox News they were forced to ditch their books and leave. “We were studying, and now we’re out here,” one student fumed.
The protesters? They’re riding hard for Mahmoud Khalil, the alleged mastermind of Columbia’s pro-Palestinian chaos, plus other students in the mix. They’ve slapped flyers everywhere, boldly dubbing Butler Library the “Basel Al-Araj Popular University.” Oh, and that “liberation zone”? Yeah, they’re claiming that too.
Inside, it’s a circus. Students say the protesters are climbing desks, hollering “Free Palestine,” and demanding Columbia cut ties with Israel. Some worry this is just the prelude to another encampment popping up like last year’s mess.
Campus cops aren’t playing. Public safety officials reportedly cornered the masked crew, telling them they’re stuck in the library until they flash ID cards. No ID, no exit. Tough luck.
Columbia’s not having it. A university spokesperson dropped a verbal hammer on Wednesday: “These disruptions of our campus and academic activities will not be tolerated.”
“Unfortunately, the University is dealing with a disruption in reading room 301 of Butler Library. Columbia’s Public Safety Team is responding and working to mitigate the situation,” the spokesperson said. “Individuals have been asked for identification, which will be recorded, and asked to disperse. They have been told that failure to comply will result in violations of our rules and policies and possible arrest.
“No individuals who have been protesting in the reading room have chosen, at this point, to identify themselves and depart. Individuals who were not involved in the protest have been allowed to leave,” they added. “While this is isolated to one room in the library, it is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities as our students are studying and preparing for final exams.
“These disruptions of our campus and academic activities will not be tolerated,” the statement doubled down. “Individuals found to be in violation of University Rules and policies will face disciplinary consequences. We ask our community members to please avoid the immediate area near Butler Library in the near term.”
This isn’t Columbia’s first such situation..
Last month, the university warned it’d rip down any new encampments and maybe even cuff troublemakers if they tried pulling last year’s stunts again. Those protests saw students seize Hamilton Hall, clash with riot-gear-clad cops, and end with over 200 arrests. It all kicked off after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which left 1,200 dead and sparked global outrage.
Columbia’s brass made it clear: set up tents, you’re outta here. “Authorities would immediately take steps to remove tents or other structures and tell demonstrators to disperse,” they said. Free speech? Sure, they’re all for it— but follow the rules, or it’s game over.
The drama’s already cost the university big. President Minouche Shafik bailed after taking heat for months over her handling of the protests, which often spiraled into ugly clashes and fueled accusations of antisemitism on campus.
Then there’s the money. Trump yanked $400 million in grants from Columbia in March, citing the antisemitism surge. That hit hard, forcing the university to bend to some demands just to claw back funding.
Columbia’s walking a tightrope, and the library’s just the latest battleground.
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