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Columbia Library Takeover Leads to Arrests, Including Former Bloomberg Reporter

Jason Kao, charged with criminal trespass, is among 81 arrested during anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, which have prompted suspensions, campus bans, and heightened tensions.

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Overview

  • Jason Kao, a former Bloomberg News reporter and Columbia alumnus, was arrested during the May 7 takeover of Butler Library and charged with criminal trespass.
  • The protests, led by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), resulted in 81 arrests and included vandalism, injuries to two security guards, and the distribution of Hamas-endorsing pamphlets.
  • Columbia University has since suspended over 65 students and barred 33 affiliates and alumni from campus, intensifying administrative and disciplinary actions.
  • CUAD has issued demands including divestment from Zionist institutions, an academic boycott, and amnesty for participants, but these remain unresolved.
  • The incident has fueled broader debates over academic freedom, antisemitism, and institutional accountability across U.S. college campuses.