Columbia Protests Erupt Over Expulsion of Students and Revocation of Diplomas

March 15, 2025 TruthUSA

On March 13, Columbia University revealed that several students involved in the 2024 occupation of Hamilton Hall faced expulsion or suspension.

NEW YORK CITY—On March 14, demonstrators assembled outside Columbia University in Manhattan to express their concerns regarding the college’s recent disciplinary actions against its students.

Columbia University’s announcement on March 13 indicated that numerous students involved in the 2024 takeover of Hamilton Hall had been expelled or suspended, and several graduates had their diplomas temporarily revoked.

In an email sent that same day, Columbia’s president, Dr. Katrina Armstrong, mentioned that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had entered two university residences. According to the email, no arrests were made, no items were confiscated, and no further actions took place.

On March 9, Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia student and pro-Palestinian activist residing in university housing, was apprehended by ICE and received deportation orders over the weekend. This incident led to significant protests throughout the week, particularly at Columbia University and Trump Tower.

Students, activists, and even some senior citizens joined forces to protest these developments on the sidewalks outside Columbia, chanting their demands in the warm spring air: “Columbia drop the act, we demand our students back,” “Resistance is glorious, we will be victorious,” and the pro-Palestinian refrain, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The protesters reported that 28 individuals had been affected by Columbia’s punitive measures regarding the Hamilton Hall takeover, with nine people facing expulsion.

A masked individual addressed the crowd, declaring that he was among those expelled.

“Yesterday, I was expelled from Columbia, along with many others who were expelled, suspended, or had their degrees revoked,” he stated, accusing the university of prioritizing greed and corruption.

He emphasized the determination of the pro-Palestinian protesters to persevere despite opposition and urged the formation of rapid response groups to protect neighborhoods from ICE and establish safe havens. He concluded his remarks with a plea for the release of Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University who was apprehended by ICE on March 9.

The expelled student did not disclose his name to The Epoch Times.

On March 10, DHS indicated on social media platform X that Khalil’s arrest was in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism in educational institutions, asserting that Khalil “led activities aligned with Hamas,” a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that launched a significant assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in Israeli military operations in Gaza.

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