The New York Police Department assumed control of Columbia University on Tuesday evening, employing force to retake an academic building that had been captured by aggressive pro-Palestinian demonstrators, resulting in the arrest of numerous individuals.
Hundreds of NYPD officers in riot gear marched onto the main campus of the Ivy League school in Manhattan. Their mission was to remove the agitators who had forcefully entered Hamilton Hall the previous day and had taken control of the building.
NYPD ON THE SCENE
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Watch this intense video as a group of police officers, donning helmets, scale a ladder and enter a building through a second-floor window, equipped with zip-tie handcuffs.
As the officers entered the building, they utilized four devices to divert the attention of the protesters with loud bangs.
In just one hour, the police swiftly regained control of the building and detained several protesters. They were then escorted into three NYPD buses.
Around 100 individuals were reportedly apprehended, although the specific number of arrests and the potential charges they may face have yet to be determined.
The NYPD officers successfully removed the remaining student protesters from their makeshift tent city on the South Lawn of the campus, restoring order to the college.
As we reported earlier, a group of student demonstrators forcefully entered Hamilton Hall on Monday night, breaking windows as they made their way inside to seize control of the building.
Angry protesters demonstrated against the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the loss of many Palestinian lives.
STORMING HAMILTON HALL
In the last couple of weeks, the protesters have been provoking Jewish students and calling on Columbia’s administration to disinvest from any ties to Israel. However, Dr. Minouche Shafik, the university’s president, firmly stated that she would not comply with their demands.
Columbia administrators warned that they would suspend the students who supported Palestine if they did not engage in peaceful protests. They also stated that those who occupied Hamilton Hall would face expulsion.
Protests resembling the violent ones have occurred at various colleges nationwide.