Dozens of masked anti-Israel protesters stormed Columbia University’s Butler Library on Wednesday, escalating tensions on a campus already marked by months of unrest tied to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The intrusion, which occurred as students were deep in final exam preparations, has reignited concerns over campus safety.

According to the New York Post, social media footage circulating widely shows protestors forcefully pushing past a security guard at the library’s entrance. The guard attempted to prevent their entry but was swiftly overpowered. Once inside, the group unfurled banners declaring the space a “liberated zone,” with another sign invoking the name of Bassel al-Araj, a Palestinian activist killed in 2017—though his name was misspelled.

Columbia University confirmed the incident in a statement late Wednesday. “While this is isolated to one room in the library, it is completely unacceptable that some individuals are choosing to disrupt academic activities as our students are studying and preparing for final exams,” officials said. “These disruptions of our campus and academic activities will not be tolerated. Individuals found to be in violation of University Rules and policies will face disciplinary consequences.”

The university’s Public Safety team responded quickly, entering Reading Room 301 of Butler Library and asking protestors to identify themselves and vacate the premises. However, as of Wednesday night, the identities of those involved remain unknown, with all refusing to comply.

The administration has urged the campus community to avoid the immediate area around Butler Library, citing safety concerns and the need to preserve an environment conducive to academics.

Columbia was the epicenter of US student demonstrations last spring, when pro-Palestinian activists erected a large encampment and temporarily seized Hamilton Hall, leading to dozens of arrests and sparking copycat actions at campuses across the country.

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In March, the Trump administration pulled the funding over what it described as the Ivy League school’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023.

Meanwhile, Columbia University said on Tuesday that it will be laying off nearly 180 staffers in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel $400 million in funding over the Manhattan college’s handling of student protests against the war in Gaza.

Those receiving non-renewal or termination notices on Tuesday represent about 20% of the employees funded in some manner by the terminated federal grants, the university said in a statement Tuesday.

“We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources,” the university said. “Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard.”