Chaos erupted at Columbia University on Wednesday as more than 70 pro-Hamas protesters were arrested after forcibly occupying part of the campus’s Butler Library. According to Columbia President Claire Shipman, two university security officers were injured during the breach, which she condemned as “outrageous.”

Videos shared on social media captured the moment protesters, many wearing keffiyehs and masks—despite a federal ban imposed by the Trump administration—stormed into the library chanting slogans and vandalizing property. Footage showed graffiti reading “Free Palestine” scrawled across bookshelves and a standoff unfolding as public safety officers blocked the exits, demanding IDs from those inside.

The New York Police Department, responding at Columbia’s request, stated, “Individuals have occupied a library and are trespassing.” The standoff lasted for hours as protesters refused to show identification, leading to mass arrests.

Shipman, who recently took over as university president in March, urged students to avoid the library, emphasizing the disruption’s impact on students preparing for final exams. “It is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities,” she said.

In a post on social media, protesters accused the university of “violent repression” and claimed they were targeted for refusing to comply with ID checks.

This marks the first time Columbia has called in the NYPD for an on-campus protest since April 2024, when demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall in another pro-Palestinian sit-in.

The escalation drew swift condemnation from New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who posted, “We will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city.”

Columbia remains a lightning rod in the ongoing national debate over campus protests tied to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Trump administration, which has accused universities of tolerating antisemitism, has threatened and enacted sweeping penalties.

In March, Columbia agreed to federal demands, including a ban on face masks during protests and revised academic oversight, in order to preserve federal funding. But following this latest incident, President Trump reiterated threats to withhold $400 million in aid and has already terminated $2.2 billion in taxpayer funding to Harvard University over similar concerns.

The administration has warned more than 60 universities that federal funding may be revoked if alleged campus antisemitism is not addressed.