New York Police Department officers in riot gear entered Columbia University's Hamilton Hall Tuesday evening, which had been occupied by protesters for roughly 20 hours, according to multiple news reports.
According to The New York Times, the NYPD entered the building using a makeshift bridge that allowed them to climb into the second-story window. CNN reported that the NYPD said it had used "distraction devices" to disperse students but denied reports that tear gas was deployed.
Dozens of protesters were taken by police into busses in zip ties, and as they were being bussed away, many chanted, "Free Palestine," the Times reported.
The university announced later in the evening that the building had been cleared of protesters and that "heightened activity" had concluded, per the Times.
Videos from student groups on the scene show protesters being pushed off campus by police. The Washington Post reported that some police entered the hall with guns drawn.
The university requested that students shelter in place before police entered the campus building.
Student groups had been demonstrating on campus for days, setting up tents and camping out at the Ivy League University to protest Israel's war on Gaza. Demands for the protest included that the university cut financial ties to Israel.
The university's $13.6 billion endowment includes investments in several weapons manufacturers and tech companies that do business with the Israeli government, which the student coalition Columbia University Apartheid Divest described as profiting "from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine," CNN reported.
On Tuesday, protesters entered Hamilton Hall, a humanities building on the university's Morningside Heights campus, and barricaded themselves indoors.
Columbia announced in a statement that students who occupied Hamilton Hall will face expulsion, while students who participated in encampments and refused to leave at the university's direction will face suspension.
Columbia University, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and the NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Columbia released a statement Tuesday evening saying it gave the NYPD the green light to enter the campus and disperse student protesters.
"We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions," adding, "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 school also said the protesters had been "led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University."
In a live broadcast, reporters at Columbia student news station WKCR noted that only Columbia ID holders could be on campus and questioned the university's security.
Columbia's President Minouche Shafik requested in a letter to the NYPD that the police maintain a presence on campus until May 17 to shut down any future encampments.
At least two New York representatives spoke out against Columbia's decision to let NYPD forcibly remove students from Hamilton Hall.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman said he was "outraged by the level of police presence called upon nonviolent student protestors" at Columbia and The City College of New York — another New York institution with students staging a similar encampment.
"As an educator who has first hand experience with the over-policing of our schools, this is personal to me," Bowman posted on X.
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.
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) May 1, 2024
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that if students were hurt by the NYPD, the responsibility would fall on the university president and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who expressed support for ending the encampments at Columbia University.
"Other leaders and schools have found a safe, de-escalatory path. This is the opposite of leadership and endangers public safety. A nightmare in the making," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X.
Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mass detentions spark comparisons to previous protests
History is repeating itself, users on X are saying after journalists pointed out that 56 years ago on this exact date, Columbia University deployed police onto the campus to disperse peaceful student protesters in Hamilton Hall.
Per an archival issue of the Columbia Daily Spectator on the university's website, on Tuesday, April 30, 1968, NYPD police officers arrested over 700 people on Columbia's campus who protested against anti-Black racism and the Vietnam War.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
FAQs
Massive NYPD presence clears pro-Palestine student protesters at Columbia. New York Police Department officers in riot gear entered Columbia University's Hamilton Hall. Dozens of protesters were taken by police into busses in zip ties, The New York Times reported.
Why are students protesting at Columbia? ›
Why: The students are protesting the war's death toll and are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel's military efforts in Gaza. Now: See the latest updates on protests on college campuses across the U.S.
Why are students protesting in America? ›
Campus encampments have become tantamount to riots as anger grows over Israel's war on Hamas. Pro-Palestinian activists want their colleges to 'divest' Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have spread across more than 60 university campuses in the United States, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests in two weeks.
Why did students protest in 1968? ›
In February, students from Harvard, Radcliffe, and Boston University held a four-day hunger strike to protest the Vietnam war. Ten thousand West Berlin students held a sit-in against American involvement in Vietnam.
What was happening in Columbia in 1968? ›
On April 23, 1968, Students for a Democratic Society, Student Afro-American Society, and others began a nonviolent occupation of campus buildings that lasted nearly a week at Columbia University.
What students does Columbia want? ›
Columbia University seeks to admit students who demonstrate academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, leadership potential, and a commitment to making a positive impact on their communities.
How many students did Columbia defer? ›
The deferral rate can vary from year to year, but it's generally around 20-25% of applicants who apply ED to Columbia. Keep in mind that this percentage is not absolute, and the deferral rate may change depending on the application pool for that year.
What are the benefits of student protesting? ›
It is through advocacy and activism that students develop communication, relationship building, connections, and critical thinking skills.
Which colleges are protesting Israel? ›
On campus: As students around the country protest, student journalists are covering their peers in a moment of uncertainty.
- COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. ...
- CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, HUMBOLDT. ...
- YALE UNIVERSITY. ...
- UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT.
Between 1960 and 1966, students initially protested civil rights, property, and campus issues before becoming active in the antiwar movement at the height of the Vietnam War.
The gym's structure itself was meant to be racist in a way. While it was publicly accessible, Harlem residents had a separate entrance from students on the opposite side of the building and an entire floor below.
How did May 68 change France? ›
Beginning in May 1968, a period of civil unrest occurred throughout France, lasting seven weeks and punctuated by demonstrations, general strikes, and the occupation of universities and factories. At the height of events, which have since become known as May 68 (French: Mai 68), the economy of France came to a halt.
Why was 1968 a troubled year? ›
Other events that made history that year include the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive, riots in Washington, DC, the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1968, and heightened social unrest over the Vietnam War, values, and race.
What happened at Columbia University in NYC in 1968? ›
The Columbia protests erupted over the spring of that year after students discovered links between the university and the institutional apparatus supporting the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, as well as their concern over an allegedly segregated gymnasium to be constructed in the nearby Morningside Park ...
When did the Columbia protest start in 2024? ›
| 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupation |
|---|
| Date | April 17–30, 2024 (1 week and 6 days) |
| Location | Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States 40°48′27″N 73°57′43″W |
| Caused by | Israel-Hamas war Opposition to Columbia University's investments in Israel |
| Goals | Columbia University's divestment from Israel |
11 more rowsAmong the issues that sparked the revolt were mounting opposition to the war in Vietnam and Columbia's role in military research; University plans to build a private gym in Harlem's public Morningside Park; the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Barnard's role in policing its students' romantic lives.
What started the various sit ins and protests at Columbia University? ›
The Columbia protests erupted over the spring of that year after students discovered links between the university and the institutional apparatus supporting the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, as well as their concern over an allegedly segregated gymnasium to be constructed in the nearby Morningside Park ...
Why did students on the campus of the University of Wisconsin launch a major protest in 1967? ›
Opposition to the Vietnam War had been building on college campuses for years when, on Oct. 18, 1967, UW–Madison students amassed to protest the recruiting efforts on campus of the Dow Chemical Company. The company made napalm, a flammable gel used on the battlefield by the U.S. government.
When did Columbia start admitting black students? ›
In as early as 1901, Black students began entering Teachers College, Columbia, coming from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the South, including Tuskegee, Saint Augustine's, and Howard University.
