Columbia's acting president slams storming of campus library by anti-Israel agitators: 'Utterly unacceptable'

The acting president of Columbia University powerfully denounced the concern of the field room connected Wednesday aft much than 100 anti-Israel agitators stormed it, resulting successful dozens arrested and 2 assemblage officers injured.

Claire Shipman issued a connection to the field assemblage connected Wednesday nighttime addressing the hours-long incidental astatine Butler Library, which she described arsenic "utterly unacceptable."

A mob of protesters showed up astatine the room Wednesday afternoon, arsenic students were studying for finals, reportedly to rally enactment for detained Mahmoud Khalil, the accused ringleader of pro-Palestinian protests astatine Columbia. They besides continued to request the assemblage divest from Israel.

Two groups caused "substantial chaos" and damaged the field gathering portion occupying 1 of the library's main speechmaking rooms and breaching the building's beforehand door, Shipman said, adding that the disruption near the assemblage with "no choice" but to telephone the NYPD for assistance.

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"These actions not lone represented a usurpation of University policies, but they besides posed a superior hazard to our students and field safety," Shipman said, successful part.

Columbia's acting president said she went to the room "as the events were unfolding" and was disappointed with what she saw, including 1 Columbia nationalist information serviceman being wheeled retired connected a gurney and different being treated for injuries.

Shipman besides said the speechmaking country astatine the room was "defaced and damaged successful disturbing ways and with disturbing slogans."

"Violence and vandalism, hijacking a library—none of that has immoderate spot connected our campus. These aren’t Columbia’s values," she said.

Pro-Hamas graffiti is disposable wrong Butler Library connected the field of Columbia University, wherever protesters occupied the gathering connected Wednesday. (Sam Nahins)

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Shipman, who took implicit successful March pursuing the resignation of the erstwhile president and the stepping down of the consequent interim president, said this behaviour volition not beryllium tolerated astatine Columbia.

"Let maine beryllium clear: Columbia unequivocally rejects antisemitism and each different forms of harassment and discrimination. And we surely cull a radical of students—and we don’t yet cognize whether determination were outsiders involved—closing down a room successful the mediate of the week earlier finals and forcing 900 students retired of their survey spaces, galore leaving belongings behind," she said.

She besides praised the effect from professors, field constabulary and NYPD officers, describing their attempts to defuse the concern arsenic "orderly, professional, and highly limited, with a absorption connected the students who refused to permission the speechmaking room."

Columbia is successful the mediate of its designated "study days" up of last examinations opening connected Friday, according to its world calendar, and Shipman said she is "heartbroken and incensed" that this caused "unnecessary accent and danger" for those studying successful the library.

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"I person seen however overmuch our assemblage wants to instrumentality backmost our narrative, to bash what they came to Columbia to do—learn, thrive, and grow—not instrumentality implicit a library," she said. "Moreover, I americium profoundly disturbed astatine the thought that, astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile our planetary assemblage feels peculiarly vulnerable, a tiny radical of students would take to marque our instauration a target."

Shipman said the "clear enactment betwixt morganatic protestation and actions that endanger others and disrupt" the university's operations was crossed connected Wednesday and she is assured "disciplinary proceedings volition bespeak the severity of the actions."

The protestation prompted a effect from NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who said the metropolis stands with Jewish New Yorkers, which includes the Jewish pupil colonisation astatine Columbia.

"To those protesting connected field who bash not be Columbia: exit the field instantly oregon you volition beryllium arrested," Adams said. We volition not tolerate hatred oregon unit successful immoderate signifier successful our city."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox News that the bureau was monitoring arrests made astatine the protestation and said each suspects were to beryllium fingerprinted to find if immoderate are noncitizens.

Pro-Hamas protesters locomotion the perimeter of Columbia University successful New York City connected Wednesday, hours aft occupying the Butler Library.  (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that sentiment precocious Wednesday night, penning connected X, "We are reviewing the visa presumption of the trespassers and vandals who took implicit Columbia University’s library. Pro-Hamas thugs are nary longer invited successful our large nation."

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Columbia University has been a salient determination for anti-Israel protests since Hamas launched its onslaught connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, starring to clashes betwixt pro-Hamas and pro-Israel groups and large disapproval of the raging antisemitism connected campus.

Fox News' Max Bacall contributed to this report.