Negotiating with US authorities, Columbia University fines students protesting against Israel

Washington [US], July 23: Columbia University announced on July 22 that it has imposed various penalties on students who participated in anti-Israel protests on campus.
The above sanctions against students were made in the context that Columbia University (based in New York City, USA) is negotiating with the administration of US President Donald Trump to restore 400 million USD in federal funding that was cut, according to AFP.
Mr Trump has put intense pressure on Columbia University and several other prestigious universities, accusing them of failing to address anti-Semitism amid protests against Israel's war in the Gaza Strip that swept across the US last year.
Columbia University, the epicenter of campus protests, has agreed to a series of policy reforms in an effort to regain federal funding, sparking outrage from many students.
Harvard University is also targeted for billions of dollars in funding cuts, but is fighting the Trump administration's pressure campaign in court.
Columbia University's latest sanctions stem from a sit-in at the library in May, as well as a refugee camp set up during alumni weekend in the spring of 2024, the university said in a statement, according to AFP.
The protest at the library also disrupted hundreds of students during exam preparation time, and penalties for students participating in the protest included "probation, suspension (from 1-3 years), revocation of degrees and expulsion," the announcement said.
The statement did not specify what punishment had been imposed on students involved in the spring 2024 protests, which followed larger demonstrations that included the occupation of an academic building.
CUAD, a student group at Columbia University, said nearly 80 students were targeted in the new sanctions. CUAD, which has long called for Columbia to cut all financial ties with Israel, said: "We will not be discouraged. We are determined to fight for the liberation of Palestine."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper