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Yale College withdrew Yalies4Palestine’s status as a registered student group, citing the organization’s role in promoting a Tuesday night protest on Beinecke Plaza.

Yalies4Palestine said Tuesday night that it was not responsible for the protest, which began around 8 p.m. and dispersed before 11:30 p.m. However, in a University press release Wednesday afternoon, the University cited social media posts the group made calling for people to join the event, and a public statement allegedly “taking credit.” In the announcement, Yale acknowledged that the gathering was not affiliated with Yalies4Palestine or any official student organization.

In one Instagram Reel post, Yalies4Palestine captioned a video of the protest with the all-caps words “Repost! Share! Join the students!” The group posted several videos of the crowd, which erected tents and announced their intention to stay on Beinecke Plaza overnight before ultimately dispersing after administrative warnings. It posted a video with the caption “HAPPENING NOW YALE STUDENTS RELAUNCH ENCAMPMENTS,” and co-posted several videos with similar captions.

“This occurred only one day after Yalies4Palestine had met with Yale College officials to discuss recent policy violations and were warned that further violations would jeopardize the group’s privileges,” the University wrote in the statement. “Because Yalies4Palestine has flagrantly violated the rules to which the Yale College Dean’s Office holds all registered student organizations, Yale College today notified Yalies4Palestine that the College is withdrawing its status as a registered student organization.”

Without a student organization designation, groups cannot reserve Yale spaces, request Yale funding, use the Yale name, participate in a student activities bazaar or enjoy other privileges. 

The Yale News release cites “concerns” that were raised of “disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering” and says the University is investigating. The announcement did not specify what those concerns were, and the University spokesperson declined to provide further information about the alleged antisemitic conduct or who was contacted about potential disciplinary action. 

During the protest, University staff identified students who they knew had been “warned or disciplined” for prior University policy violations, and on Wednesday, Yale notified those students that the University would take “immediate” disciplinary action against them, according to the statement.

The press release adds that the University is continuing to “investigate the event actively.” It stated that the students could face law enforcement action and University penalties including reprimand, probation, suspension and expulsion.

In response to a request to specify how the staff members identified students, the number of students contacted about possible disciplinary action and what constitutes having been “warned” in previous instances that they violated policy, the Yale spokesperson sent the press release.

A group of pro-Palestine protesters released a statement to the News which claimed that the protest last night was not affiliated with a particular group, including Yalies4Palestine. They condemned Yale’s decision to suspend Y4P, saying that it was an attempt by the University to appease the Trump administration and stave off federal funding cuts.

“Several peer institutions including Harvard and Columbia had federal funding stripped from them by the Trump administration soon after suspending student organizations protesting the genocide in Gaza,” the statement said. “Attacking students and alienating community members didn’t save Harvard or Columbia. It won’t save Yale.”

Last night’s protest saw protesters pitch eight tents on Beinecke to protest a Wednesday night talk near Yale’s campus by far-right Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The protest dispersed after organizers cited threats of “retribution” from administrators. 

Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division, reposted an X post by Netanel Crispe ’26, a Jewish Yale student, which said that Jewish students were blocked from walking through Yale’s campus. Crispe’s tweet included a video of pro-Palestine protesters forming a circular chain on Beinecke and not permitting Crispe to pass. 

“DOJ @CivilRights is tracking the concerning activities at Yale, and is in touch with affected students,” Dhillon’s post said. 

Crispe could not be immediately reached for comment. 

The protest was organized on the anniversary of the dispersal of the first pro-Palestinian protest encampment last year, during which Yale Police officers arrested 48 protesters, including 44 Yale students.

Yalies4Palestine no longer appears on YaleConnect, the database where Yale lists student clubs.

Tristan Hernandez and Ariela Lopez contributed reporting.