2024-04-19 00:16:44
NEW YORK — Police arrested more than 100 people at Columbia University on Thursday at a makeshift camp set up by pro-Palestinian protesters on the university’s main lawn.
It was the second day of protests on and off Columbia’s campus in Upper Manhattan following students set up the unsanctioned tent city.
Police spent most of the day monitoring activity near the campus and making arrests before confronting students at the tents.
NYPD officers in riot gear began walking to 114th Street and Broadway around 12:30 p.m., where they closed the street to seven correctional buses. Officers then removed students from the camp.
“We walked around different parts of campus to occupy that space and demand that our voices be heard,” said one Columbia student. “And when I arrived, everyone had already been arrested.”
“One by one these cops made each of the camp protesters sit down and stand up and put them in zip ties and walk them,” said another student. “It’s a very difficult time for a lot of people. I think it’s unfortunate that it has come down to this.”
“It’s clear, as you can see, the school has made no effort to help protect the students who are protesting peacefully,” said pro-Palestinian protester and student Jin Hooky.
Students were detained on the buses before being taken to the site.
Protests at the school’s main entrance continued throughout the day, sometimes leading to violent confrontations.
“New Yorkers have every right to express their grief, but that grief does not give you the right to harass others, to spread hate,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
The vast majority of the 108 students arrested were given summonses for trespassing.
Columbia University President Shafik addresses protests, arrests
“It is with great regret that we request the NYPD’s assistance in removing these individuals,” she wrote.
Shafik said all university students participating in the camp are suspended.
“I regret that all of these efforts to resolve the situation were rejected by the students involved. As a result, NYPD officers are now on campus and the process of clearing the camp is underway.” Shafik wrote in the statement to the Columbia community.
The students were warned to leave the camp by 9pm on Wednesday, Shafik wrote.
“Columbia is committed to allowing members of our community to engage in political expression – within established rules and with respect for everyone’s safety,” Shafik wrote.
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter suspended
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Barnard College suspended three students, including Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, for participating in the protests. Hirsi said on social media that she and others at the camp will continue to protest until their demands are met.
Demonstrations Wednesday starts before administrators locked down campus amid dueling protests between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups. Police said one person was arrested.
Protests intensified Thursday morning and more arrests were made as small pro-Palestinian protests took place outside Columbia’s campus gates.
Some protesters expressed dissatisfaction with how the police handled the situation.
“There was no point in ever working with the police. Like every step of the way, they escalated it,” said a protester named Selena.
According to protesters, the police started detaining them because they were blocking the entrance to the subway, which they said was not the case.
“Not allowing us to exercise any of our rights,” Selena said.
Protests continue following Columbia’s president testifies
Protests began when Shafik testified on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, where she was accused of failing to discipline students for antisemitic rhetoric.
“Columbia has shown over and over they don’t care regarding students’ rights, votes or safety,” said Aidan Parisi, a pro-Palestinian protester.
“I’m afraid to wear a Jewish star here. I’ve had a lot of nasty anti-Semitic comments regarding me and I don’t understand how it’s accepted,” said student Kim Silverman.
The vast majority of Thursday morning’s protesters were not Columbia students.
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