Columbia University's commencement ceremony was marred Wednesday by anti-Israel protests, including arrests, chants, and the burning of diplomas, as demonstrators denounced Israel's actions in Gaza and called for the release of a former graduate student detained by immigration authorities.
At least two protesters were taken into custody outside the university's gates, where dozens gathered in defiance of security barricades and heavy NYPD presence. The protestors, many masked and clad in keffiyehs, chanted slogans such as "Columbia you're a liar, you set Palestine on fire," and "intifada revolution." Some demonstrators ignited their diplomas in protest, drawing a crowd and police response across the street from Columbia's Morningside Heights entrance.
Inside the ceremony, which was closed to the public and attended by approximately 37,000 people, acting university president Claire Shipman's address was repeatedly interrupted by chants demanding freedom for Mahmoud Khalil. Khalil, a former Columbia graduate student and a spokesperson for the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group (CUAD), is currently in ICE custody awaiting deportation. Federal officials have alleged he engaged in activities "aligned to Hamas," a claim his supporters deny.
CUAD had called for disruption in advance, urging followers on X to "WEAR A MASK! GET LOUD! BRING NOISE! NO COMMENCEMENT AS USUAL UNDER GENOCIDE!" in reference to Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. The group's social media post came as campus tensions reignited following last year's cancellation of commencement due to prolonged anti-Israel encampments.
While the university has largely avoided unrest inside its gates since canceling last year's graduation over safety concerns, students protesting at other Columbia-affiliated ceremonies this week similarly disrupted events with chants and boos.
The NYPD confirmed it responded to the protest but did not immediately specify who requested their presence. Law enforcement officers maintained a perimeter around the campus throughout the event as rainfall kept some crowds at bay.
