Anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University have burned their own diplomas in an effort to rage against the institution for bowing down to the Trump administration.

Rowdy demonstrators gathered outside the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, raucously chanting ‘Free Palestine’, wearing keffiyehs and holding a Palestinian flag with ‘Free Mahmoud Khalil’ written on it.

Khalil, a student at Columbia from Syria who was in the United States on a green card, is in custody awaiting deportation after he was arrested back in March accused of organizing pro-Palestinian rallies on campus. 

He served as a spokesman for the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group, or CUAD, on campus during the disruptive encampments and protests which gripped Columbia last year.

Extraordinary photographs from the protest captured students setting fire to their own diplomas after pouring years of effort and thousands of dollars into achieving the certificate.

Others simply tore their diplomas to shreds, holding the evidence of their crumpled up certificates above their heads proudly.

CUAD put a call-out on social media ahead of the graduation, demanding supporters show up and cause mayhem during the celebration. ‘WEAR A MASK! GET LOUD! BRING NOISE! NO COMMENCEMENT AS USUAL UNDER GENOCIDE,’ it read.

During the ceremony, some students wore keffiyehs as they heckled acting president, Claire Shipman, during her speech.

Anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University have burned their own diplomas in an effort to rage against the instititution bowing down to the Trump administration

Anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University have burned their own diplomas in an effort to rage against the instititution bowing down to the Trump administration

Extraordinary photographs from the protest captured students setting fire to their own diplomas after pouring years of effort and thousands of dollars into achieving the certificate

Extraordinary photographs from the protest captured students setting fire to their own diplomas after pouring years of effort and thousands of dollars into achieving the certificate

Others simply tore their diplomas to shreds, holding the evidence of their crumpled up certificates above their heads proudly

Others simply tore their diplomas to shreds, holding the evidence of their crumpled up certificates above their heads proudly

Shipman paid tribute to Khalil, acknowledging ‘many in our community today are mourning the absence of our graduate Mahmoud Khalil.’ 

‘We firmly believe that our international students have the same rights to free speech as everyone else.’ 

Outside the university’s main gate, protesters shouted ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, ‘Columbia will fall’, and ‘One solution: Revolution.’

President Trump demanded the university ban masks from protests as part of sweeping orders seeking unprecedented control on campus. 

Columbia sparked outrage among students and alumni when it caved to Trump’s demands after he pulled $400million in federal funding previously allocated to the school.

He had threatened to cut more over the university’s handling of rampant protests against Israel. 

Columbia vowed to revamp its long-standing disciplinary process and bar protests inside academic buildings. Students are no longer permitted to wear face masks on campus ‘for the purposes of concealing one’s identity.’ 

An exception would be made for people wearing them for health reasons.

Khalil, a student at Columbia from Syria who was in the United States on a green card, is in custody awaiting deportation after he was arrested back in March accused of organizing pro-Palestinian rallies on campus

Khalil, a student at Columbia from Syria who was in the United States on a green card, is in custody awaiting deportation after he was arrested back in March accused of organizing pro-Palestinian rallies on campus

Outside the university's main gate, protesters shouted 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free', 'Columbia will fall', and 'One solution: Revolution'

Outside the university’s main gate, protesters shouted ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, ‘Columbia will fall’, and ‘One solution: Revolution’

Pictured: An image of diplomas burning on Wednesday

Pictured: An image of diplomas burning on Wednesday

Pictured: A person setting fire to their diploma as others watch on

Pictured: A person setting fire to their diploma as others watch on

In an effort to expand ‘intellectual diversity’ within the university, Columbia must also appoint new faculty members to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies department. 

As a ‘precondition’ for restoring funding, federal officials demanded that the university place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Department under ‘academic receivership for a minimum of five years.’ 

After the $400million funding cut, Columbia was forced to slash 180 jobs. 

The financial strain has also forced the institution to reduce some of its activity, including ‘running lighter footprints’ within research infrastructure,’ officials said. 

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk