The Thursday three network morning shows of ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, and CBS Mornings could not and therefore did not downplay the violence that occurred overnight at Columbia University as pro-Palestinian agitators occupied Butler Library during finals week. However, they did manage to sanitize the message used to justify that violence, as it was mostly claimed they simply want an end to the Gaza War.
Today anchor Savannah Guthrie introduced correspondent Sam Brock, “Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters taken into custody after they stormed a library at Columbia University and refused to leave for hours. NBC's Sam Brock on the campus there for us. Sam, what's the latest here?”
Brock replied that, “this incident brought eerie hallmarks to a disruption on Columbia University's campus just last spring with dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators forcing their way, Savannah, into a private building; in this case, it was Butler Library. They were confronting and surging past public safety officers. According to the university, refusing to show their identification, refusing, Savannah, to leave when asked. That's when Columbia said, frankly, it had no choice but to reach out to the NYPD. They tell us overnight they took in 80 people into custody. You'll see in this video they're wearing zip ties, many of them sporting masks and head scarves to try to conceal their identity.”
In the next hour, Guthrie summarized that “dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators stormed a library at Columbia University yesterday, refusing to leave for several hours, hanging Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves. This is a repeat of protests at the school last year that set off a nationwide movement on college campuses. The protesters demanding an end to the Israel-Gaza War. Police say dozens of people were arrested last night after not complying with orders to leave that building.”
That makes them sound like peace activists. In reality, they chanted things like “No cops, no KKK, no fascist USA” and “Free, free Palestine.” The group that organized this takeover was Mahmoud Khalil’s group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, and when they say “Free Palestine,” they are not liberals talking about Palestinian administration of the West Bank; they are Marxist radicals talking about destroying Israel.
Meanwhile, over at CBS, Vladimir Duthiers also tried to paint the demonstrators as merely anti-war, “Let's move here to New York where there are new protests last night at Columbia University against the war in Gaza. Demonstrators surged their way into the main library as campus security pushed back. Police arrested more than 70 people in the first major protest since last spring. Tom Hanson has the very latest.”
Hanson did interview students who condemned the demonstrators and the school’s administration for letting it happen, but as for CUAD, Hanson simply referred to them as the night’s organizers with no reference to their radical beliefs, “The group that organized the occupation of the library posted this message from those inside—reading, “we refuse to show our IDs under militarized arrest. We refuse to go down quietly.”
With references to last year, Hanson also claimed, “At least 76 people were taken into police custody on buses bound by zip ties and handcuffs. The protests come a year after demonstrations over the war in Gaza flooded campuses across the country. Columbia’s encampment was a flashpoint and eventually led to the Trump Administration’s deportation of student activists and cuts of more than $400 million in federal funding.”
Finally, over at ABC, Aaron Katersky managed to allude to the fact that the demonstrators were not simply anti-war activists, but did not provide any specifics, “Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman said the building was defaced and damaged in disturbing ways and with disturbing slogans. Eighty people are in custody, most believed to be unaffiliated with the university.”
Katersky concluded by lamenting, “So, what happened Wednesday is only going to complicate the school's attempt to restore $400 million in federal research funds that the Trump administration has pulled, Robin.”
If Columbia is truly horrified about what is being done on its campus, it would only make sense to look at what is actually taught there, which is exactly what the Trump administration has done. However, that won’t stop the media from portraying their efforts as Trump simply going after his enemies.
Here are transcripts for the May 8 shows:
NBC Today
5/8/2025
8:12 AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters taken into custody after they stormed a library at Columbia University and refused to leave for hours. NBC's Sam Brock on the campus there for us. Sam, what's the latest here?
SAM BROCK: Sure, Savannah, so obviously this incident brought eerie hallmarks to a disruption on Columbia University's campus just last spring with dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators forcing their way, Savannah, into a private building; in this case, it was Butler Library. They were confronting and surging past public safety officers. According to the university, refusing to show their identification, refusing, Savannah, to leave when asked. That's when Columbia said, frankly, it had no choice but to reach out to the NYPD. They tell us overnight they took in 80 people into custody. You'll see in this video they're wearing zip ties, many of them sporting masks and head scarves to try to conceal their identity. We don't, Savannah, know the status of how many actually received summonses or charges, but in the course of this clash, Columbia University says two public safety officers sustained injuries during a crowd surge. Columbia is calling the actions, which included some vandalism, outrageous and says that disruptions to the school, especially right now during finals and acts of anti-Semitism and discrimination and hatred will not be tolerated. Savannah?
…
9:04 AM ET
GUTHIRE: Breaking news here, dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators stormed a library at Columbia University yesterday, refusing to leave for several hours, hanging Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves. This is a repeat of protests at the school last year that set off a nationwide movement on college campuses. The protesters demanding an end to the Israel-Gaza War. Police say dozens of people were arrested last night after not complying with orders to leave that building.
***
CBS Mornings
5/8/2025
8:09 AM
VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: Let's move here to New York where there are new protests last night at Columbia University against the war in Gaza. Demonstrators surged their way into the main library as campus security pushed back. Police arrested more than 70 people in the first major protest since last spring. Tom Hanson has the very latest.
TOM HANSON: Protesters, many covered in masks, burst through the doors of Columbia University's Butler Library overtaking public safety officers and sequestering themselves in one of the building's main rooms.
EDEN YADEGAR: They had drums and megaphones and whatnot. They were standing on tables.
HANSON: Columbia senior Eden Yadegar was inside preparing for her final exams when the demonstrators occupied room 301.
YADEGAR: Public safety made an announcement that everyone in that room would be arrested if they didn't leave.
HANSON: As the standoff ensued inside, others tried to push their way into the library's entrance. Meanwhile, a large crowd of protesters gathered outside near the campus where they clashed with New York City police.
DEMONSTRATOR: Palestine will live forever!
HANSON: The group that organized the occupation of the library posted this message from those inside — reading, “we refuse to show our IDs under militarized arrest. We refuse to go down quietly.”
Three hours later the university announced it had asked the NYPD for help. At least 76 people were taken into police custody on buses bound by zip ties and handcuffs. The protests come a year after demonstrations over the war in Gaza flooded campuses across the country. Columbia’s encampment was a flashpoint and eventually led to the Trump Administration’s deportation of student activists and cuts of more than $400 million in federal funding.
FEMALE STUDENT: It's the same repetition as last year. And most protesters and administration has apparently learned nothing.
***
ABC Good Morning America
5/8/2025
8:03 AM ET
AARON KATERSKY: It was chaotic at Columbia for several hours after pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to revive the kind of protests that engulfed the campus this time last year. The demonstrators, many in masks and head scarves, took over the inornate Butler Library during finals week. Acting Columbia President Claire Shipman said the building was defaced and damaged in disturbing ways and with disturbing slogans. Eighty people are in custody, most believed to be unaffiliated with the university.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said overnight the State Department would review the visa status of all involved. Columbia authorized the NYPD to come in and clear the library. Shipman said it was necessary to safeguard the community after two university officers were injured. Today there's restricted access to Columbia, which has come under pressure by the Trump Administration to curb these protests and protect Jewish students. So, what happened Wednesday is only going to complicate the school's attempt to restore $400 million in federal research funds that the Trump administration has pulled, Robin.
