The New York Police Department (NYPD) in riot gear stormed Columbia University‘s campus to quell pro-Palestine protests. The police action came after a week of peaceful demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war.
What Happened: The NYPD, armed with batons, entered Hamilton Hall, where student protesters had barricaded themselves. The police intervention followed a week-long protest on the university’s outdoor common space, reported The Hill on Tuesday.
The police entered the building through a second-floor window at approximately 9:30 p.m. This move came after the university ordered students to stay in their dorms and the NYPD demanded the same.
The university justified the police intervention as a necessary step to restore safety and order. The spokesperson expressed regret over the protesters’ actions, which left the university with no other choice.
"We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions," a university spokesperson wrote. "After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice."
The protests at Columbia are part of a larger national movement against the Biden administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. The protesters are calling for a cease-fire, an end to military aid to Israel, and for their universities to divest from Israeli interests.
At a press conference earlier on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams claimed that the protests had been “co-opted” and urged the demonstrators to end their cause before the situation escalates.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who met with the protesters earlier in the week, criticized the mayor and Columbia leadership for their response and the police action.
The police cleared Hamilton Hall of protesters before 11:00 p.m., with at least dozens of protesters being arrested. The NYPD is expected to remain on campus until May 17, according to an email sent to students by the student-run WKCR radio at Columbia.
Why It Matters: The protests at Columbia are part of a larger national movement that has seen hundreds of arrests. The protesters are demanding a cease-fire and for their universities to divest from Israeli interests.
The protests have also sparked criticism from political figures such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (R- S.C.). The university’s decision to call in the NYPD has been met with widespread condemnation, with some calling for the university president to resign.
Meanwhile, the protests have also had repercussions on the job market, with recruiters expressing discomfort with hiring graduates from Ivy League colleges due to their increasing political participation.
Despite the police intervention at Columbia, some universities have allowed the protests to continue. Brown University, for example, agreed to hold a vote on the students’ divestment proposal, leading to the end of their protest.
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