Following the removal of $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, students, faculty, staff, and alumni held a “speak out” on Monday to denounce school officials for caving in to the demands of the Trump administration.
The goal of the 25-hour event, which attracted hundreds of students, teachers, staff, and alumni, according to organizers, was to strengthen the increasing sentiment in the Columbia community that the school’s academic independence was being threatened and that the administration had given in to Washington.
In response to what it claims is a failure to address antisemitism and its handling of demonstrations against Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip, the government has suspended billions of dollars in federal grants and research funding at colleges across the country.
As scores of students passed by, Brooke West, a social work professor at Columbia, remarked, “All of us have dedicated our lives to both a continual process of learning but also educating. But how can we do that when our students, when our institutions and academic freedom and free speech are under attack?”
David Guirgis, who will receive his master’s degree in social work next month, expressed his regret that his institution failed to challenge the administration.
He declared, “This is an all-out attack on science and academic freedom,” shortly before the rally started. “We are pioneers in biomedical research, legal research and environmental science research and all of that got cut simply because the Trump administration had a vendetta against universities.”
As the first university the administration targeted, Columbia agreed to a number of demands, including instituting “greater institutional neutrality” and changing its admissions procedure.
According to White House spokesperson Harry Fields, certain universities broke the law and failed to protect Jewish students on Monday.
“Universities’ violation of federal law, due to their blatant reluctance to protect Jewish students and defend civil rights, is unbecoming of institutions seeking billions in taxpayer funds,” Fields stated. “The Trump Administration remains committed to reforming higher education and combating anti-Semitism.”
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In their own words, students and professors wanted the institution to safeguard researchers, reestablish diversity policies, defend students and international scholars, and fight back against federal attacks.
Signs that read “Columbia Fight Back,” “Defend Freedom of Speech,” and “Protect our Students” were raised by professors at the demonstration.
Mahmoud Khalil, a PhD student who participated in student protests last year, is one of at least three Columbia students who have been arrested by authorities in recent weeks.
Human rights group the Brandeis Center announced Monday that it has brought a federal lawsuit on behalf of two Columbia janitors who were reportedly beaten during a demonstration inside Hamilton Hall last year.
