Tensions at Columbia University didn’t just vanish after the high-profile encampments of early 2024. In fact, things took a pretty sharp turn on November 11, 2024. While most of the country was pausing to thank those who served in the armed forces, a specific group of students decided to use the date for something entirely different. They called it "Martyrs Day." It was a move that felt, to many, like a deliberate poke in the eye.
The Columbia University protest Veterans Day event was organized by a group known as Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD). This is an unsanctioned coalition that stepped into the vacuum left when the university suspended chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Their goal? To "reclaim" the holiday. They argued that the "American war machine" shouldn't be celebrated. Instead, they wanted to honor those killed in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.
Honestly, the atmosphere on campus that day was thick. You had two very different worlds colliding on the same patch of grass.
What Actually Happened on the Ground
If you walked onto the Morningside Heights campus that Monday, you would have seen a campus divided by more than just ideology. There were physical barriers. Metal fences. A heavy presence of Public Safety officers.
Initially, the CUAD protesters wanted to meet at the Sundial—a central landmark. But the university beat them to it, blocking off the area. So, a group of about 30 student veterans and their supporters took over that space instead. They brought American flags. They played music. They even tossed a football around. It was a defiant, festive celebration of the holiday in the middle of a very tense environment.
Meanwhile, the "Martyrs Day" protesters moved to the South Lawn.
They didn't just stand there and shout slogans. They brought props. They planted paper poppies in the dirt—a symbol often used for remembrance, but here it was meant for "Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian martyrs." They read names. They shared stories of people killed by what they termed the "Israel-US war machine."
One speaker at the event said, "Today, we will honor the patriotism, love of country, and sacrifice of our martyrs." It was a direct mirroring of the language usually reserved for American soldiers.
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Why the Backlash Was So Intense
The timing of the Columbia University protest Veterans Day was what really set people off.
Columbia has a unique relationship with the military. It actually has more veterans enrolled—around 700—than all the other Ivy League schools combined. For these students, many of whom served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere, the protest felt deeply personal. Sam Nahins, an Air Force veteran and graduate student, told reporters that the rhetoric was "really detrimental" to the mental health of the veteran community.
There's a history here. Ever since the October 7 attacks, veterans on campus have reported being called "baby-killers" or "infidels." So, when a flyer went around saying "We reject this holiday," it wasn't seen as a peaceful policy critique. It was seen as an attack on their identity.
The University's Tightrope Walk
Interim President Katrina Armstrong had a mess on her hands. The university issued a statement basically saying they were proud of their veterans and would continue to participate in the New York City Veterans Day Parade, as they have for a decade.
But they didn't stop the protest.
They monitored it. They kept the groups apart. For critics like Queens Councilman Robert Holden, this wasn't enough. He called the protest "disgraceful" and argued that the school shouldn't allow what he termed "un-American terrorist supporters" to insult the military.
On the other side, the protesters felt they were being silenced by the "Zionist entity" and the university's investment choices. They handed out flyers listing university trustees and companies like Microsoft and Airbnb, claiming Columbia’s endowment makes every student complicit in the conflict.
The Bigger Picture: A Campus in Flux
This wasn't just a one-off event. It was part of a long, messy timeline that includes:
- The Gaza Solidarity Encampment in April 2024.
- The occupation of Hamilton Hall.
- Mass arrests and the eventual resignation of President Minouche Shafik.
- The suspension of multiple student groups.
The "Martyrs Day" event showed that the movement has become more hard-line. CUAD has moved away from just asking for divestment; they’ve started using language about "armed resistance" and "liberation by any means necessary."
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It’s a far cry from the "liberal media" friendly protests of the early spring.
Key Takeaways for Understanding the Conflict
- Identity Matters: This wasn't just about foreign policy. It was a clash between the 700+ veterans who see the holiday as sacred and activists who see the US military as an engine of global suffering.
- Tactical Shifts: Protesters are now targeting specific holidays and symbols to gain maximum "Discover-ability" and media friction.
- Admin Stalemate: The university is stuck between protecting free speech and preventing what many see as a hostile environment for specific groups of students.
If you’re looking to understand the current state of campus activism, look at the symbols used that day. The poppies. The flags. The football. It tells you everything you need to know about how far apart these two groups really are.
What You Can Do Next
To get a full sense of the situation, it’s worth looking at the "Sundial Report" released by the University Senate, which breaks down the administrative failures of the 2023-2024 academic year. You can also track the official Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) social media accounts to see their upcoming "reclamation" events, as they have signaled they will continue to target traditional American holidays.
If you are a student or alum, checking the revised University Event Policy is crucial, as the rules for "time, place, and manner" of protests are being updated almost monthly to prevent the kind of chaos seen in previous semesters.