Radical Columbia Students Who Took Over a Campus Building Learn Their Fate

The spoiled children of indulgent parents have no conception of gratitude.

In like manner, privileged leftists who enjoy disproportionate protections for free speech have no idea what free speech really means.

According to WNBC in New York, officials at Columbia University in New York City have finally announced punishments for an unspecified number of students who forcibly occupied a building on campus last April as part of pro-Palestinian protests against the war in Gaza.

During those protests, a group of students used furniture and padlocks to barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall.

The Columbia Daily Spectator, the university’s student newspaper, cited a social media post from a campus organization indicating that the university had suspended, expelled, or revoked the degrees of 22 students in total.

Of course, the announcement of these punishments occurred amid — surprise, surprise — rising tensions on the Ivy League campus.

Last week, for instance, President Donald Trump’s administration said that it would pull $400 million in funding from the university due to its failure to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws.

Columbia University officials have acknowledged that Jewish and Israeli students on campus experienced severe harassment from pro-Palestinian protesters.

Then, over the weekend, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a green card-holding Palestinian activist and former Columbia graduate student accused of supporting Hamas and thereby violating federal law that prohibits alien residents from endorsing terrorist groups or activities.

Protests have erupted since Khalil’s arrest.

Meanwhile, according to the Daily Spectator, one of the expelled students had served as president of the Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers.

That gave the United Auto Workers license to pose as advocates of free speech.

“The shocking move is part of a wave of crackdowns on free speech against students and workers who have spoken out and protested for peace and against the war on Gaza,” the UAW said in a statement. “As the UAW has emphasized, the assault on First Amendment rights being jointly committed by the federal government and Columbia University are an attack on all workers who dare to protest, speak out, or exercise their freedom of association under the U.S. Constitution.”

Unions, of course, have always loved free speech except when union members defy union leaders.

But that is a different matter, for nothing in this case involves free speech.

Khalil, for instance, could stand in the middle of campus and criticize Israel to his heart’s content. The First Amendment prevents the government from stopping him.  As a green card holder, however, he cannot support the terrorist group Hamas.

Likewise, Columbia students could gather to protest the war in Gaza all they please. They simply cannot take over buildings by force.

Moreover, leftists already enjoy disproportionate protections for their speech.

Under the COVID regime, for instance, many Americans in lockdown could not gather socially even to attend church. But leftists could march for Black Lives Matter. The regime carved out an exception for that nonsense.

In short, pay no mind to anyone who claims that punishments meted out to Columbia students involve constitutional violations.

Furthermore — and in related news — the university’s endowment approached $15 billion in 2024, per the Columbia Daily Spectator.

Thus, Trump would be wise to reimagine higher education altogether and give that $400 million to community colleges.

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.