NYPD Arrest Pro-Palestinian Protesters, Clear Occupied Columbia University Hall

University emphasized the necessity of police intervention to ensure the safety of the campus community and prevent further escalation.

NYPD officers in riot gear break into a building at Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian students are barricaded inside a building and have set up an encampment, in New York City on April 30, 2024. Kena Betancur/AFP

New York Police Department (NYPD) officers entered a Columbia University campus hall in Manhattan on Tuesday night “to restore safety and order,” arresting pro-Palestine protesters who had barricaded themselves inside less than 24 hours earlier.

The NYPD commenced its operation around 9 p.m. ET. In an update later that evening, the NYPD said that its officers had cleared the encampment in Hamilton Hall at the university. Around 100 individuals were taken into custody, according to multiple reports.