Columbia alums rip up diplomas in symbolic protest against university caving to Trump admin demands

The demonstration was organized by the School of International and Public Affairs Alumni for Palestine. It followed Columbia’s decision to comply with demands from the Trump administration after the federal government moved to halt $400 million in funding over concerns about antisemitism on campus. The protest also came amid renewed outrage over the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate and green card holder who was detained by ICE earlier this month for participating in antisemitic and pro-Hamas protests.

During the event, alumni and student speakers gathered to chant slogans such as “Free Mahmoud Khalil” and “Free Palestine” before collectively ripping up their diplomas.

“It’s not easy to do this,” said Amali Tower, a 2009 SIPA graduate, in an interview with NBC News. She added that the demonstrators “took no joy” in their actions but felt compelled to do so.

“I'm not a proud alumni at all, and instead I want to stand with the students, and I want to stand with Palestinians, and I want to stand with immigrants who are being rounded up and harassed, oppressed and deported as we speak,” she said.

The Trump administration announced the suspension of federal grants to Columbia earlier this month, citing widespread antisemitism on campus following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas. In response, the university agreed to several measures, including increasing campus security by adding 36 officers with arrest powers, adopting a formal definition of antisemitism, and placing oversight on the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department.

Columbia has since parted ways with interim President Katrina Armstrong amid backlash over its decision to comply with the administration’s demands.