Columbia University started suspending student demonstrators after they defied an ultimatum to disperse on April 29. University authorities had demanded that the protest encampment be cleared or students would face disciplinary action. Columbia University said that it had “begun suspending students as part of our efforts to ensure safety on our campus.”The prestigious institute has become the epicentre of pro-Palestinian protests that have upended college campuses across the US. The move follows almost two weeks of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza and after around 100 protesters were first arrested at Columbia on April 18.