Hundreds of New York police officers stormed into the Columbia University grounds on Tuesday night, where campus protesters had occupied Hamilton Hall since Monday night, tying doors shut with ropes and blocking entrances with furniture.
Live footage of the event, broadcast by CNN, showed the helmeted officers met by angry protesters, shouting and chanting, outside Hamilton Hall.
Officers later used a SWAT ramp, attached to the roof of a large truck to enter the upper floors of Hamilton Hall. Activists have renamed the building “Hind’s Hall” in honour of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli tanks in Gaza as paramedics tried to rescue her.
These Columbia students face expulsion, spokesperson Ben Chang said on Tuesday. Shortly after the NYPD began entering the campus grounds, Columbia released a lengthy statement saying that it “had no choice” but to involve law enforcement.
“We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions. After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice,” the statement read.
Dozens of protesters were arrested, the NYPD said, adding that all areas had been cleared by around 11pm local time.
Columbia president Nemat Shafik has requested that the NYPD maintain a presence on the campus until May 17 – two days after the university’s graduation ceremony.
Watch: Columbia protesters detained by police as NYPD move to clear campus
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 04:30
ICYMI: Columbia will have ‘blood on its hands’ if police bring weapons to campus, student says Tuesday
Katie Hawkinson1 May 2024 04:00
Columbia requesting NYPD presence on campus until May 17
Columbia University president Nemat Shafik has reportedly requested that the NYPD maintain a presence on the campus until May 17, CNN reported.
The outlet’s own student journalist Julia Vargas is reporting live on the scene of Tuesday’s protest removal, and is due to graduate in the Columbia commencement ceremony on May 15.
“I have family coming… for graduation. I hope that of course that it can happen but at the same time, is there a climate for celebration?” Ms Vargas said.
“I spoke to a lot of students today and a lot of them feel caught between… if police are on campus that’s going to dampen the mood even more. I’m interested to see who will even attend.”
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 03:30
Watch: NYPD drag away Columbia protesters as police heckled by angry crowd
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 03:15
It’s started to rain…
Rain has begun to pour down in New York and at the scene of the Columbia University campus where police are in the process of detaining and dispersing demonstrators.
It remains to be seen what impact, if any, this will have on the operations.
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 03:11
WATCH: College protesters are ‘terrorist-sympathisers’, speaker Mike Johnson says
Katie Hawkinson1 May 2024 03:00
Pictured: Police entering campus building using SWAT ramp
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 02:55
New York congressman ‘outraged’ by police presence on Columbia campus
New York City congressman Jamaal Bowman has said he is “outraged” by the heavy police presence on the Columbia campus, and called on the university’s adminstration to stop the “dangerous escalation before it leads to further harm”.
In a statement, the congressman said: “I am outraged by the level of police presence called upon nonviolent student protestors on Columbia and CCNY’s campuses.
“As an educator who has first hand experience with the over-policing of our schools, this is personal to me. Educational institutions should be spaces to nurture critical thinking skills and learn to work together with diverse communities to enact a more just and peaceful world.
“The militarization of college campuses, extensive police presence, and arrest of hundreds of students are in direct opposition to the role of education as a cornerstone of our democracy.
“I call upon the Columbia administration to stop this dangerous escalation before it leads to further harm, and allow the faculty back onto campus so that all parties can collectively come to a solution that centers humanity over hate.”
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 02:44
Riot police spotted getting off buses near Columbia campus
Multiple riot police officers have been spotted getting off buses near to the ongoing protests on the Columbia University campus.
The officers were met by angry students, some of whom shouted “f*** you, pigs!”
The Independent’s Richard Hall and Valentina Botero are on the scene providing live updates.
Mike Bedigan1 May 2024 02:33