Columbia University suspends, expels nearly 80 students over Gaza protest
Students who took part in a pro-Palestine demonstration inside Columbia University’s Butler Library during final exams in May have been disciplined.
Protesters occupied the library demanding divestment from companies linked to the Israeli military and expressing solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombardment and siege.
According to the protest group Columbia University Apartheid Divest, nearly 80 students have now been either expelled or suspended for up to three years over their involvement.
Some were reportedly asked to write letters of apology to be allowed back on campus, a condition some students said they’ll refuse.
Columbia University’s Judicial Board confirmed it issued expulsions, suspensions and degree revocations following what it called a disruption during “reading period”. It did not say how many students were expelled.
Palestine condemns US withdrawal from UNESCO as ‘politicisation’ of cultural heritage
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has sharply criticised the US decision to withdraw from the UN’s cultural agency, calling it a “regrettable and erroneous” move that politicises global efforts to protect heritage and education.
In a statement on X, the ministry said Washington’s justification for its exit is an attempt to deflect attention from Israel’s “violations against heritage, culture and archaeological sites in Palestine”.
Continued US impunity for Israel would encourage its “rogue state” behaviour and undermine the international system, it warned.
Palestine, a UNESCO member since 2011, pledged to keep working with the agency to protect its cultural heritage.
Earlier, the US State Department called UNESCO’s mission “divisive” and criticised Palestine’s membership, which it said “contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric”.
