University administrators and police have cracked down on the protests, arresting students and threatening protesters with consequences including being banned from campus, evicted from university housing,

A total of 282 people were arrested at Columbia University and City University of New York on Tuesday night, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday—after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied a Columbia building and built barricades the day before.

Despite peacefully protesting, students still face severe consequences, including potential suspensions, evictions, expulsions, and criminal prosecutions. The latter depends on local prosecutors (or, in some cases, municipal city attorneys) who often have broad leeway to file—or drop—charges after someone is arrested.