Barnard College alumna Jesse Pearce is arrested outside Columbia University’s commencement ceremony. Along with current students, alumni protested the institution’s ongoing financial ties to Israel. New York City, New York, United States
Facing intense political pressure to limit pro-Palestine demonstrations, many US universities became focal points in a national conflict over free speech and institutional independence. At Columbia University, the Trump administration suspended $400 million in federal funding to force a crackdown on campus protests, causing severe administrative upheaval. The students were caught in this institutional crossfire, but many members of the graduating class of 2025 as well as alumni chose to exercise their first amendment rights in protests and demonstrations.
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