Multiple Protesters Arrested After Pro-Palestinian Demonstration at Columbia University Library
Multiple people were arrested on May 7 during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University in New York.
Dozens of protesters stood on tables, beat drums, and unfurled pro-Palestinian banners in the reading room of Columbia University's main library on Wednesday.
Videos and photographs on social media showed protesters, most wearing masks, with banners saying 'Strike For Gaza' and 'Liberated Zone' beneath the Lawrence A. Wein Reading Room's chandeliers in the Butler Library.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) responded to the incident at the request of the university.
'The NYPD responded to an ongoing situation on campus where individuals have occupied a library and are trespassing,' a department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to NTD, sister media of The Epoch Times. 'Multiple individuals who did not comply with verbal warnings by the NYPD to disperse were taken into custody.'
A police spokesperson late Wednesday said the department wasn't able to provide a number for how many were arrested.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned activists in a
According to the
'Due to the number of individuals participating in the disruption inside and outside of the building, a large group of people attempting to force their way into Butler Library creating a safety hazard, and what we believe to be the significant presence of individuals not affiliated with the university, Columbia has taken the necessary step of requesting the presence of NYPD to assist in securing the building and the safety of our community,' Shipman said in a
Shipman also
'These actions are outrageous,' Shipman added, stressing that the university condemns violence on campus, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hate and discrimination.
A social media account for Columbia Jewish and Israeli Students published footage of the clash between protesters and officers.
'Protesters attempting to stampede public safety to avoid being identified as they leave,'
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a pro-Palestinian student group, confirmed in a
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
The Trump administration earlier this year threatened to cut more of the university's federal funding for its alleged failure to address anti-Semitic activities on campus.
In March, it pulled $400 million in research grants and other funding over the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which was launched in response to terrorist group Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023.
According to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they want to receive federal funding. McMahon said Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students on its campus for too long.
Columbia announced a series of
The protests mark a resurgence of demonstrations seen last spring against the institution's ties to Israel. A
'As a democracy with constitutional protections for the individual rights of all citizens, and as the home to great universities, Israel shares values, interests and aspirations with us,' the statement said. 'Columbia benefits from ties with Israeli faculty, students, research, and technology.'
Reuters contributed to this report.
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