Police Arrest Pro-Palestinian Protesters Occupying Columbia University Library

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. government is reviewing the visa status of the ’trespassers and vandals who took over the university’s library.’

Pro-Palestinian protesters are loaded into NYPD buses after being detained by public safety officers, following a protest at Butler Library on the campus of Columbia University in New York on May 7, 2025. Ryan Murphy/Reuters

Multiple people were arrested on May 7 during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University in New York.

Dozens of protesters stood on tables, beat drums, and unfurled pro-Palestinian banners in the reading room of Columbia University’s main library on Wednesday.