On Tuesday night, New York City police raided Columbia University to remove a protest encampment that the Ivy League school had been trying to dismantle for almost two weeks and to apprehend dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, some of whom had taken over an academic building.
Shortly after police raided, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik released a letter requesting police stay on campus until at least May 17 – two days after graduation – “to maintain order and ensure that encampments are not re-established”.
According to a police spokesperson, the campus was cleared of protestors within three hours and “dozens” of people had been arrested. Around 9pm, when the raid began. hordes of police officers wearing helmets marched onto the prestigious campus in upper Manhattan, which has become the epicentre of student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that have recently spread to dozens of other schools in the United States.
“We’re clearing it out,” the policemen exclaimed.
Not too long afterward, a lengthy queue of law enforcement officials entered Hamilton Hall, an academic building that demonstrators had forced entry into and taken possession of during the wee hours of Tuesday. Police used a police vehicle with a ladder to enter through a window on the second floor.
Students taunted police with cries of “Shame, shame!” as they stood outside the hall.
Numerous detainees were seen being loaded onto a bus by police, all of whom had their hands zip-tied behind their backs.
“Free, free, free Palestine,” chanted protesters outside the building. Others yelled “Let the students go.”
The three things that the demonstrators wanted Columbia to do were divest from businesses that backed the Israeli government, increase financial transparency, and grant amnesty to faculty and students who had been disciplined for their involvement in the protests.
This week, President Shafik declared that Columbia would not cut off its financial ties to Israel. Rather, she proposed to increase transparency regarding Columbia’s direct investment holdings and fund health and education initiatives in Gaza.
Shafik claimed in a letter that was made public on Tuesday that the occupants of Hamilton Hall had trespassed on and damaged university property, and that protesters in the encampment had been suspended for the same offense. The university had earlier issued a warning that participants in the Hamilton Hall occupation might be expelled from the school.
The occupation began when protesters broke windows, stormed inside, and unfurled a banner reading “Hind’s Hall,” claiming they were renaming the building in honour of a six-year-old Palestinian child who was killed in Gaza by Israeli forces.
A few hours prior to police entering Columbia, Mayor Eric Adams and city police officials stated during an evening news briefing that “outside agitators,” who are not associated with Columbia and are recognized by law enforcement for inciting lawlessness, were the source of the Hamilton Hall takeover.
Police said that increasing occupation tactics, such as vandalism, the use of barricades to block entrances, and the destruction of security cameras, were a contributing factor in their conclusions.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and one of the protest leaders, refuted claims that outsiders were in charge of the occupation.
Prior to police arrival on Tuesday, the university released a statement stating, “Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with the teaching, learning and preparing for final exams.”
Counterprotesters have responded to many of the nationwide demonstrations by accusing them of inciting anti-Semitic animosity. Jews who support human rights and criticize Israel’s government are among the pro-Palestinian group that claims they are unfairly being labelled as antisemitic.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House, described the campus building occupation as “the wrong approach” on Tuesday.
