Yesterday we saw something similar to what happened at Columbia University a few days ago, only at NYU things got more violent. The NYPD posted the letter it had received from NYU asking them to enter the campus and clear Gould Plaza.
Earlier today, the NYPD received the attached letter from NYU — detailing a request to clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to comply with repeated requests to disperse. They were described as “interfering with the safety and security of our community.” Our… pic.twitter.com/oA758efW74
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) April 23, 2024
The rest reads:
Our officers responded to the location without delay and dispersed the crowd — making numerous arrests, as necessary .
There is a pattern of behavior occurring on campuses across our nation, in which individuals attempt to occupy a space in defiance of school policy. Rest assured, in NYC the NYPD stands ready to address these prohibited and subsequently illegal actions whenever we are called upon.
Students were warned that they had until 4 pm to clear the plaza before arrests were made.
NYU campus safety (possibly with NYPD) plans to sweep the Gaza solidarity encampment in Gould Plaza at 4 pm. campus safety chief Fountain Walker handed this statement to demonstrators about ten minutes ago pic.twitter.com/2wo0mh6eBk
— alex (@phoebeposting) April 22, 2024
The students refused to leave, changing “Hell no, we won’t go.”
🗣️ HELL NO WE WONT GO
Head of campus security Fountain Walker had issued a dispersal order for 4 pm with “serious consequences” for students who do not comply. He could barely be heard over chants of “HELL NO WE WONT GO” and “STUDENTS HOLD YOUR GROUND.”
— NYU PALESTINE SOLIDARITY COALITION (@nyupscoalition) April 22, 2024
At some point before the deadline, a group of faculty members joined the crowd of students.
🚨HAPPENING NOW! Massive crowd of faculty walk out in solidarity with students and with the movement for Palestine at @Columbia University. pic.twitter.com/G98QGQc24A
— The People’s Forum (@PeoplesForumNYC) April 22, 2024
Faculty then tried forming a human shield to prevent arrests.
🇵🇸BREAKING: NYU faculty have formed a chain around Gaza Solidarity Encampment as student organizers prepare to pray pic.twitter.com/RhOQAjhqkl
— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) April 22, 2024
The whole process seems to have moved slowly. Arrests did not start at 4 pm but more than three hours later.
NOW: NYU students are still occupying Gould Plaza as the crowd continues to rally on the adjoining sidewalk and street
Students were originally told to clear the plaza by 3pm — it is now 7:30pm and the ‘Liberated Zone’ is still standing pic.twitter.com/z4PjJ0JxG0
— katie smith (@probablyreadit) April 22, 2024
At least a dozen faculty members were reportedly arrested.
NOW: NYPD arrests at least a dozen NYU faculty members in the ‘Liberated Zone’ at Gould Plaza
Police deployed the LRAD while protesters were praying pic.twitter.com/TS6JrgjyRA
— katie smith (@probablyreadit) April 23, 2024
Police then moved in and started clearing tents and making arrests. And this is where things started getting a big chippy, with crowds of people shoving and pushing and students locking arms and shouting “Hold the line.”
#BREAKING Clashes and battles over tents – MASS ARRESTS at the NYU, ‘Liberated Zone’ encampment tents REMOVED as massive ammount of police continues to clear out the protesters.
This is happening right now.
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/qkUP5w22SW— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) April 23, 2024
It looks like the beginning of that clip above was edited to remove someone throwing a chair at the police. But that was later included in this clip which also shows water bottles being thrown as students chanted “The whole world is watching.”
Bottles and chairs thrown as NYPD Clears the NYU occupation encampment ‘Liberated Zone’, making mass arrests.
FULL STORY: https://t.co/ogESGvZcpK
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/Gpawsfx3yK
— FreedomNews.Tv FNTV (@FreedomNTV) April 23, 2024
This guy got arrested.
#NYC “Are we gonna let them push us back? Stop backing up!” a single protester attempts to hold a double line of NYPD from removing them off NYU grounds.
Video by Olga Fe [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/5vyhPQm9iw
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) April 23, 2024
This is a sort of complication of some of the worst of the night. By the end of this, police are in control and arrested students are being led out.
#NOW ENCAMPMENT RAIDED – Massive Police Presence REMOVE TENTS, Mass Arrests at NYU “Liberated Zone”.
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/itqDUq7YN2
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) April 23, 2024
Those who were not arrested apparently marched toward 1PP to demand those who had been arrested be released.
#NOW Pro-palestine Protesters LIGHT FLARES march through China Town to “FLOOD 1PP” for Jail support.
1PP is 1 Police Plaza, NYPD headquarters. pic.twitter.com/pcvhT8XpEJ
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) April 23, 2024
They also tried to block the street so buses full of the arrested couldn’t leave.
NYPD Pepper sprays press and demonstrators as the demonstrators attempt to block the police bus carrying those arrested from the NYU encampment. pic.twitter.com/EJCzYZKMYP
— Peter H (@peterhvideo) April 23, 2024
This went on for a while.
NOW: Protesters at NYU rush into the intersection and block the NYPD buses containing the arrested protesters from moving pic.twitter.com/vxcS343j21
— katie smith (@probablyreadit) April 23, 2024
Reports this morning say that more than 150 people were arrested. This morning, former President Trump used the recent chaos at Columbia and NYU to make a statement blaming Biden for not handling this better. This is smart politics because Biden is really in a bind over this. He obviously should condemn students breaking campus rules and scuffling with police but he also can’t afford to make himself the enemy of young progressives (more than he already is).
PRESIDENT TRUMP: What’s going on at the colleges, Columbia, NYU, and others, is a disgrace. And it’s really on Biden. He’s got the wrong signal. He’s got the wrong tone. pic.twitter.com/mMCnh0HeDT
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) April 23, 2024
Finally, this morning Gould Plaza is being boarded up to keep protesters from returning.
Good morning from NYU, where plywood is being used to fortify the low wall surrounding Gould Plaza following last nights’ sweep of the ‘Liberated Zone’
Dozens of faculty and students were arrested last night, and officers are currently stationed in the plaza pic.twitter.com/vqKxizGdFU
— katie smith (@probablyreadit) April 23, 2024
Friend just sent me a video of them barricading Cadman Plaza at NYU where the demonstrations took place yesterday. pic.twitter.com/0Aob8AKuSj
— Arielle Angel (@ArielleLAngel) April 23, 2024
That seems to be it for now. But every arrest seems to inspire more protesters so we could have several more iterations of this pattern before the week is over.