Photo: Collected
The New York Police Department (NYPD) has arrested approximately 300 protesters at the campuses of Columbia University and the City College of New York amid pro-Palestine demonstrations across the United States, Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday (1 May).
"Approximately 300 people were arrested at Columbia University and City College, we are pressing the arrests to distinguish between who were students and who were not supposed to be on the ground," Adams said during a press briefing.
The mayor explained that the protests were instigated by external actors, not students, to create chaos instead of peaceful protests.
NYPD officers wearing helmets and armed with batons and plastic zip-tie handcuffs set up so-called iron barricade a couple of blocks from Columbia University. Students opposing Israel's deadly military operations in the Gaza Strip had barricaded themselves in and were preventing people from reaching their friends at the university.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik sent a letter to NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters Michael Gerber asking the police to retain a presence on campus through at least May 17 in order to maintain order.
Numerous pro-Palestine demonstrations have emerged on college campuses across the United States in recent days against the US military, financial and diplomatic support for Israel's military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in the death of more than 34,000 Palestinians and the wounding of over 77,000 Palestinians.
Students are calling on their universities to condemn Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, to divest from companies linked to Israel and to discontinue study abroad programs at Israeli universities, among other demands.
Messenger/Mumu
