New York police made their way into Columbia University late Tuesday after being called in by college officials who said they had “no choice” after window-smashing protesters broke into an academic building and refused to leave.
“A little after 9 p.m. this evening, the NYPD arrived on campus at the University’s request. This decision was made to restore safety and order to our community,” said a university spokesperson in a late Tuesday statement.
A number of protesters were in custody before 10 p.m., according to reporters at the scene.
Footage broadcast on cable news showed helmet-clad police moving in behind riot shields, carrying zip ties.
“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,” said the post on the Columbia website.
Columbia shut down its main Morningside campus early Tuesday after dozens of protesters barricaded themselves overnight into Hamilton Hall, refusing to leave unless the university divests from Israel, which President Minouche Shafik has refused to do.
During the occupation, “Columbia public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of our facilities team was threatened,” the spokesperson said.
“We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation,” said the statement.
Ms. Shafik had ruled out bringing back officers after they made more than 100 arrests in an April 18 raid on the anti-Israel encampment covering the West Lawn, but the tent city was soon back and bigger than ever.
Columbia began suspending Monday the students remaining in the encampment, which apparently prompted some of those affiliated with Columbia University Apartheid Divest to break into Hamilton Hall, hanging a pro-Palestinian banner above the entrance.
“Walk away from this situation now and continue your advocacy through other means,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams advised the Columbia protesters on Tuesday afternoon. “This must end now.”
Not all the protesters who broke into Hamilton Hall are students, said the university.
“We believe that the group that broke into and occupied the building is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University,” said the spokesperson. “Sadly, this dangerous decision followed more than a week of what had been productive discussions with representatives of the West Lawn encampment.”
NYPD riot police entering Columbia Hamas University now pic.twitter.com/6iRVrwXHLm
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 1, 2024
Universities nationwide have turned to law enforcement to clear out pro-Palestinian encampments and clamp down on unauthorized protests as graduation nears.
At least one college, the University of Southern California, has already canceled commencement over concerns about protest violence.
Police have arrested at least 1,000 protesters in the last two weeks on university campuses in states including Texas, Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Connecticut, Louisiana, California and New Jersey.
Columbia said that protesters forced the university’s hand after “vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, blockading entrances, and forcing our facilities and public safety workers out.”
“The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing,” said the spokesperson. “We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.”
• This article was based in part on wire service reports.