On Friday February 24, Barnard College, an undergraduate college affiliated with Columbia University, expelled two pro-Palestinian protestors for allegedly disrupting a Columbia class called “History of Modern Israel” on January 21.

This is the first official expulsion of a Columbia affiliate over the israeli genocide of Palestine and marks a serious escalation in the crackdown against students advocating for divestment from the israeli war machine. To date, Barnard has suspended over 50 students and evicted 46 undergraduates for political protest. Students who are suspended—many without any formal investigation or due process—immediately lose access to their housing, healthcare, and prepaid meal plans.