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

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.

Hundreds of NYPD officers descended on Columbia University, with dozens entering Hamilton Hall through a second-floor window using an elevated ramp.

Many officers were seen wearing helmets, with some equipped with heavy-duty bolt cutters and flexi-cuffs, a type of restraint cuff similar to zip ties. Officers used flashbangs as they worked to clear the building, reported Fox News.

The protesters had breached Hamilton Hall in the early morning hours of Tuesday, barricading and locking the entrance doors.

Columbia University informed the NYPD that an individual had hidden inside Hamilton Hall until after it closed and then let other individuals inside, according to the letter the university sent to the NYPD. Two security guards were inside at the time, but the university said it was “able to secure their release.”

‘Proud Moment’ Old Glory Restored

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing police progressing up a stairwell, clearing chairs out of the way after entering the building via the elevated ramp.

Another clip shows police using a hammer and nail to push into a room marked “312.” An officer shouts “police” as they enter the room.

The deputy commissioner also shared a photo showing supplies left behind by the protesters in an internal courtyard. The protesters had vandalized the Delacorte fountain, sticking up the word “people’s” above the word “fountain” engraved in stone.

Following the operation at Columbia, NYPD officers restored an American flag that had been replaced with a Palestinian flag on a pole at the City College of New York.

“An incredible scene and proud moment as we have assisted @CityCollegeNY in restoring order on campus, culminating in raising Old Glory once again on their campus flagpole,” the deputy NYPD commissioner wrote on X.

Both the college and university had written to the NYPD “detailing that protestors’ actions have interfered with the safety and security of their campuses,” according to Mr. Daughtry.

Columbia Defends Bringing in Police

“A little after 9 p.m. this evening, the NYPD arrived on campus at the university’s request,” a spokesperson for the university said in a statement outlining the NYPD’s arrival on campus Tuesday evening.

“This decision was made to restore safety and order to our community.”

NYPD officers in riot gear march onto Columbia University campus, 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 via Getty Images

The statement said the group who broke into Hamilton Hall and barricaded themselves inside were “led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University.”

“Sadly, this dangerous decision followed more than a week of what had been productive discussions with representatives of the West Lawn encampment,” the statement reads.

The statement emphasized the necessity of the NYPD’s intervention to ensure the safety of the campus community and prevent further escalation.

“The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing,” the statement added.

“We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.”

“We made the decision, early in the morning, that this was a law enforcement matter, and that the NYPD were best positioned to determine and execute an appropriate response,” the statement reads.

“We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions,” it reads.

“After the university learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice.”

Student protestors are arrested by police and removed from the campus of Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

NYPD officers arrest students as they evict a building that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian student protesters at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

An NYPD bus transports arrested students at Columbia University in New York City on April 30, 2024. Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images

The university said that safety personnel were “forced out” of Hamilton Hall and one of its campus staff “was threatened.”

“We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation,” the spokesperson said.

Following the police intervention, several protesters were observed being taken into custody near the campus at 116th and Amsterdam in New York City. Scores of NYPD officers in riot gear were seen moving towards the protesters, drawing audible reactions from the crowd.

Reports indicate that dozens of protesters were arrested, restrained with zip ties, and escorted onto buses by law enforcement authorities.