In a dramatic turn of events on Tuesday night, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) descended upon the Columbia University campus, armed with riot shields and zip ties, to arrest over 280 protesters who had taken over Hamilton Hall the day before. This crackdown was part of a broader police action that also saw student protesters at the City College of New York (CUNY) being arrested.
The escalation in tensions between the authorities and pro-Palestine college protesters comes as demonstrations demanding an end to Israel’s war on Gaza have erupted on university campuses across the United States and beyond. The protesters are calling for their universities to cut ties with companies and institutions linked to Israel.
At the heart of these protests is Columbia University, where students established the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on April 17 to push for divestment from companies doing business with Israel. However, Columbia’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, made it clear that the university would not be divesting from Israel.
In response, protesters occupied Hamilton Hall in a move reminiscent of past protests against the Vietnam War and South African apartheid. The police crackdown on the protesters prompted backlash from activist groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, who condemned the violence as a means to protect investments in Israeli apartheid.
The arrest of nearly 300 people from Columbia and CUNY has sparked outrage and solidarity from student encampments across the US. The current situation remains tense, with reports of injured students and a lack of press access at NYPD headquarters. As the situation unfolds, the demands of the protesters for divestment, transparency, and amnesty remain unmet, leaving the future of the movement uncertain.