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Columbia Students Demand Sanctuary Status, Protest for Activists

4/22/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On April 21, 2025, a passionate crowd of Columbia University students and alumni rallied outside the campus, demanding the release of pro-Hamas activists Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi. As tensions rose, one protester was arrested, while others chained themselves to the gates, urging the university to divest from companies associated with Israel and declare itself a "sanctuary campus."

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Story summary

On April 21, 2025, a passionate crowd of Columbia University students and alumni rallied outside the campus, demanding the release of pro-Hamas activists Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi. As tensions rose, one protester was arrested, while others chained themselves to the gates, urging the university to divest from companies associated with Israel and declare itself a "sanctuary campus."