Rubio cracks down after Columbia riots: "Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome"
Dozens of protesters climbed on tables, beat drums and unfurled banners in the reading room of the famous university's main library.
Pro-Palestinian protesters march to Columbia University dressed in keffiyehs (File).
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that his department is reviewing the visa status of people who protested at the main library of Columbia University.
Rubio labeled the protesters as " trespassers and vandals" and "pro-Hamas thugs." He also claimed in his X post that they were no longer welcome in the US. The person in charge of diplomacy and national security did not add details about the actions to be taken with the detainees.
About 80 protesters were arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) on campus. On Wednesday night, university officials requested the officers' assistance in securing the Butler Library due to large numbers of people causing disturbances inside and outside the building.
A large group was attempting to force their way into the reading room, posing a security risk, and there was a noticeable presence of outsiders, according to the college's interim president, Claire Shipman.
The events occurred about two days before the start of final exams, according to the Columbia statement.
">While Columbia students try to study for finals, they’re being bombarded with chants for a “global intifada.”
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 7, 2025
President @realDonaldTrump is right: not a single taxpayer dollar should go to a university that allows chaos, antisemitism, and civil rights violations on its campus.… pic.twitter.com/LPQt1zj3IW
On Wednesday, protesters climbed on tables, beat drums and unfurled pro-Palestinian banners in the reading room of the institution's main library. The protest marked one of the largest demonstrations on campus since last year's student protests against Israel's war in Gaza.
Videos and photographs on social media showed masked protesters holding banners reading "Strike for Gaza" and "Liberated Zone," among other messages.
Two of Columbia's public safety officers suffered injuries during the crowd-induced stampede, the center's report added.
Society
New York Police enter Columbia’s campus and arrest dozens of antisemitic intruders who occupied Butler Library
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón
Columbia cuts and anti-Semitic protests
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that last year's protests were anti-Semitic and criticized the university for failing to protect Jewish students. Columbia's board of trustees has been negotiating with the administration, which canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in scientific research grants in March.
The university said it is working to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of bias on campus as it faces accusations from civil rights groups of allowing the government to undermine free speech protections in academia.
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