Columbia University Students Denounce Trump's Funding Cuts as "Transparent Scare Tactic

Columbia University Students Respond to Trump's Funding Cuts

A group of anti-Israel student protesters at Columbia University criticized the Trump administration's decision to rescind over $400 million in federal grants to the university. The administration cited concerns about antisemitism on campus, which the group dismissed as a "transparent scare tactic."

The student group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, responded on social media, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to "prolong the US-backed genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians" by redirecting attention away from the US's role in the conflict. They also criticized the university's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, for her willingness to work with the administration on its "legitimate concerns."

The group accused the university of "appeasing Zionists and fascists" by cutting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, increasing surveillance, and expelling pro-Palestinian students. They also claimed the university rejected their calls to divest from Israel.

The students concluded their statement by asserting that the institution will not keep them safe and that the funding cuts will disproportionately impact marginalized communities. They called for "organized resistance to obvious injustice.