Columbia University is facing protests as faculty and students express their outrage over recent policy changes made after the administration caved to demands from the Trump administration and Israeli lobby groups. These changes include a controversial ban on face masks in campus protests, implemented in an effort to secure the restoration of $400 million in federal funding withdrawn due to the university's handling of protests against Israel's indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Gaza since October 2023.
Demonstrators gathered outside the university's main gates, chanting and holding signs advocating for academic freedom and democratic values. The protests follow an "emergency vigil" organized by professors who are concerned by the implications of the new policies, which also involve hiring additional security personnel with arresting authority and modifying disciplinary processes.
Faculty members warned that these changes could lead to increased political pressure on academic staff and suppress research and free expression. Risa L. Lieberwitz, a professor at Cornell University, highlighted the risks associated with the administration's concessions, suggesting they may set a troubling precedent for other institutions.
As students returned from spring break, the American Association of University Professors joined the protests, emphasizing their commitment to defending academic freedom and opposing the erosion of rights on campus.